


Living a Lie

by winternightlullaby



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Eren Yeager, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Romance, Running Away, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:00:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2065641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winternightlullaby/pseuds/winternightlullaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Yeager was a fresh, new doctor in Trost Hospital with hope of saving every life he could. Levi Ackerman is the top cardiac surgeon who also happens to be the sadistic leader of Trost's underground gang Recon, torturing the enemies that end up in the hospital. Eren didn't know that last part until after he married him. Hiding from him for two years after went down the drain when Levi finds him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Marrying a Lie

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hi there! I decided to do a series for AoT and wanted to try out this chapter to begin with, so forgive me if it's jumbled. It's mainly quick dialogue and explanations for the prologue in the beginning just to get to the main plot. There will be slow updates, so yeah…
> 
> Enjoy!

A bright-eyed young doctor bowed before his new colleagues, a sense of pride overcoming him as he introduced himself. He had graduated in the top five percent of his class and was excited to begin his career as an emergency physician.

"I'm Eren Yeager! I am the newest doctor in emergency and I want to help as many people as I can! Please take care of me from now on!"

It wasn't all rainbows and roses not a month after his hire. Eren was trying to clean the wound of a bleeding little girl who had a broken collarbone from a car accident, but kept drawing back as the girl cried at higher pitches whenever he pressed the alcohol swab near the scrape. It didn't help that the mother of the girl was screaming at him when her daughter did, accusing him of hurting her on purpose and giving him more stress than he had the patience for. A voice boomed behind him when the females screamed again.

"Oi, what the fuck are you trying to do, sting someone to death with rubbing alcohol?" Eren turned and was taken aback when a handsome short man in a medical coat with angry grey eyes strode in with a scowl on his face.

"Give that here." Without waiting a beat, he grabbed the forceps from him and nearly jabbed him in the eye with them. "Listen, brat, it's going to hurt regardless. Make it quick as possible so the patient isn't in pain for long." He sped through and cleaned the girl's scrapes without flinching when she managed to cry some more. Eren watched with amazement as the man didn't waste a second as he disinfected and bandaged the wounds, but was a little peeved by the man's rudeness. The man stood, bowed his head to the girl's mother and left without a word. But before he left, he glanced back at Eren one last time, his grey eyes piercing Eren's deep greens.

* * *

Eren saw him at lunch the day after with his ER doctor friend Armin. The blonde's eyes almost popped out of his head when he noticed the sullen doctor sipping coffee with a group.

"That's Dr. Levi Ackerman, the top cardiac surgeon in the field! I'm surprised he came down here, he rarely ever does. He usually makes one of his assistants get coffee for him." Eren's jaw dropped. That jackass was the top cardiac surgeon? In med school, Eren had heard stories of the man nearly ninety percent of the students wanted to be like. Hell, even he wanted to be like him. But Levi rarely made appearances and worked in the dark while everyone around him spoke of his achievements. He looked over at him, pouting as he remembered the man's attitude. But if he was really great, then he deserved all the respect he could give. He had got him out of the bind with the girl and her mother yesterday. He got up from his chair and made his way to Levi's table. Everyone there paused when he approached them. Among them was Chief of Medicine Erwin Smith, who Eren was sure Armin had a crush on. Levi looked disinterested, but Eren stood firm.

"Um…thank you for helping me yesterday, will you please go out with me?" It took two seconds for him to realize what he had said. The two women at the table were almost giggling at him. His ears went red, sputtering as he tried to correct and undo the damage. "F-f-for coffee! Nothing more!"

Surprisingly, he received a smirk from the surgeon.

"Sure." It sounded sarcastic. Eren wasn't the only one who was surprised.

* * *

Over coffee on their day off, Eren thought they were bonding pretty well in the last three hours. Levi's attitude didn't bother him as much as it did before and he started to become a little more pleasant to be around. The one thing he truly learned from Levi was how much of a damn neat freak he was. That was good being that they were doctors and cleanliness was never stressed enough. He needed more hands to count how many times Levi cleaned the table when they arrived, got their coffee and talked. Eren's tongue gradually became looser as they continued to talk, ranting about certain patients to how annoying his personal life can get despite becoming a doctor at the ripe age of 22. Since Eren was a new doctor, Levi asked what he thought about the Hippocratic Oath. Though a strange question, Eren answered as any would, to treat others without judging their character. But Levi suddenly had a distant look on his face.

"Eren, this Hippocratic Oath we take tends to bend depending on how we perceive it. Keeping it to how we do matters on your will." Eren blinked innocently.

"Levi-san?" Nothing was said anymore for the rest of the date.

* * *

A few weeks later after their coffee date, the two spent more time during breaks and their days off together. Eren liked the company and felt more and more comfortable with Levi as they went from opposite ends on the couch to next to one another with someone's head on the other's lap. Eren jumped and dropped his sandwich when his office door was kicked open to reveal a very moody Levi.

"Oi, we're dating now. Got it?" Behind him, his physician assistant Petra and medical researcher Hanji were giggling uncontrollably. Eren and Armin blinked in surprise. Without waiting for an answer, Levi slammed the door shut. Armin began to laugh at Eren's confused face.

"Levi-san's word is law around here, Eren! Remember to invite me to the wedding!" A blush bloomed on his cheeks.

"ARMIN!"

* * *

Eren was extremely nervous as his adopted sister Mikasa glared at Levi from across the table in the restaurant. Mikasa ran her own gym in Trost, capable of taking down guys twice her size in two single moves.  _'I could take on this midget,'_  she thought darkly as she buried her scowl behind the scarf Eren had given her. She didn't like the guy one bit. He gave off a vibe she couldn't put a finger on, but she didn't like it.

Levi hadn't given her much of a warm welcome either. Eren wanted him to make a good impression since it was his sister and the two were really close. He couldn't care less.

"I don't like him, Eren," said Mikasa flatly.

"Your sister's a bitch," Levi replied just as monotonously. Eren sighed. He knew this wasn't a good idea.

* * *

Things were getting more serious. In both the hospital and their relationship. The hospital had received several people involved in what looked to be a gang fight. Every doctor on call was treating the wounds and sending people into surgery for serious injuries. Eren's some-of-the-time friend/childhood douchebag Jean was among those with less serious injuries, a bullet in his shoulder as Eren was treating him.

"I was just walking with Marco when we got sucked into a fight going on in the street. We recognized Connie so we went to help. One of those bastards pulled out a gun and shot me. Fuck dude!" he shrieked when Eren pressed the bandage to his wound. Eren clicked his tongue.

"Sorry. Marco and Connie are gonna be okay though." Hearing that they would be, Jean sighed.

"Thank God. I heard the fight was between Recon and some other small gang wanting in on their turf." Eren had heard of Recon, the heart of Trost's underground that dealt heavily in crime, business and smuggled weapons across the country. They were famed for their torture methods that Eren luckily had never seen. Jean continued.

"The Recon members kept talking about how they were going to take the other guys to Heichou." He winced when Eren helped him off the hospital bed.

"Who's Heichou?" he asked, making sure he could stand. Jean kept his arm around his shoulders to steady himself.

"Jesus, where the fuck have you been? Heichou's the boss. He's the reason why they have torturing in Recon. It's apparently the best way to get information." The thought of torturing another human being made Eren sick.

"Is it really as bad as they say it is?" Jean made a sick face, looking around the busy room to check if they were being watched.

"Yeah. I actually-" He was cut off when Levi yanked back the curtain. He looked pretty tired and didn't want to hear any objections, a face mask covering his mouth and with blood on his scrubs. He looked like a crazed killer.

"Are you done here, brat? There are still some shits around here with bullets in them and some need stitches. If this fucker's done, send him home." Eren quickly nodded and Levi left, glaring at Jean's arm around his boyfriend's shoulders.

* * *

A few days later, Jean and Marco went to visit Armin and Eren during their lunch break. Levi was in the middle of surgery and couldn't be with Eren. Oddly enough, the members of the gang against Recon had made a quick recovery and left the hospital to different physical therapy facilities to finish the rest of their healing. But none of them looked stable enough to leave. Eren thought so since one of the guys he was treating kept freaking out that Heichou was going to find him there. Armin's nearly tore his coat off him when he begged him to help hide from Heichou, blood smearing all over the coat. Several nurses had to help pry the man off as gently as possible.

Jean pulled out his phone, making sure no one was watching.

"Remember how we talked about Heichou? So I found a picture leaked online last night and this guy was killed after being tortured. The picture got taken down in an hour, but I saved it on my phone." Armin suppressed his gasp.

"Jean! This is a place of healing! Put that away!" But Eren and Marco were far too curious for their own good. The picture froze Eren's heart. In the picture was a man naked on a metal table. One eye was missing, plucked out and lying next to the victim's head. The mouth was open, a handful of teeth missing. The fingernails were ripped clean off and both pinkies were chopped off. The arms had needle holes poked here and there, burn marks surrounding them. The soles of the feet had been sawed off with the heel bones in clear view and were fractured with what seemed to be a small hammer. Any more detail and Eren swore he was going to throw up. He looked away, sickness rearing in his throat. Armin couldn't resist and looked at Jean's phone, going pale when he saw the victim's face.

"That's the patient that I treated when you guys were here." Their table fell silent in shock.

Later that day, Eren was still pretty spooked over the picture as he curled on Levi's couch. He jerked a little when Levi sat next to him, the latter raising a brow when he did.

"What's wrong?" he asked, voice laced with fatigue. Eren slowly shook his head. Levi spent a lot of time doing surgery and didn't have to be bothered by something that wasn't their business.

"Nothing. Just stressed out from work." Levi smirked.

"Aren't we both? Come here. I think I know something we can do to relax…" Something about his words sent shivers down his spine.

_An hour later_

"Ah! Levi…more." Levi panted in his ear as he was trying to hold himself back from pounding senselessly into him.

"Ha. Demanding now, aren't we? You little shit." He grunted and slung Eren's leg over his shoulder, his lover on his side. Eren could feel his cock sliding deeper within him with each thrust. His wanton scream echoed off the walls of Levi's suite.

* * *

Months later, Eren leaned into Levi's embrace at night, both naked under the sheets. He had moved into Levi's place days ago and it was the first time Eren felt more in love with someone than ever. Levi loved him and listened to whatever was on Eren's mind. He was good at listening and consoled him whenever he was feeling down, especially when a patient passed away while Eren was fighting hard to save them. He would be far more depressed if Levi wasn't there supporting him. He smiled to himself, nuzzling into Levi's neck as he felt himself growing hard thinking about Levi's way of comfort and de-stressing. He sat up and straddled him, his older boyfriend still asleep.

He was horny and didn't want to wake him up. He slowly grinded his ass against Levi's cock, left hand reaching down to grab his own and began to massage it, his right keeping him steady above him. He bit his lower lip to keep himself quiet, rocking himself fast enough to keep him sated and to keep Levi from waking up. A few stray moans escaped his mouth as he imagined Levi's hand instead of his and riding on him while his cock hit his prostate with each thrust.

"Nnh-uh…Levi…" His eyes were closed as he imagined Levi thrusting into his tight hole. His eyes snapped open when he felt a hand grabbing his off his cock. He stopped rocking his hips when he saw Levi's smirk.

"All you brats think about is sex these days." Eren grinned naughtily, gyrating his hips.

"You're the one who got me addicted." Levi gave him a small smile, thrusting his hips to Eren's. Eren moaned when he realized Levi was erect, then something worked his way up his left ring finger. He looked down and saw Levi sliding a silver and diamond spiral engagement ring.

"Levi?!" he gasped, crying out when his lover thrust into him.

"Eren, will you marry me?" he asked softly, pounding into him from below. He forced Eren's hips down and immediately made contact with his prostate, Eren tightening incredibly. Eren saw white as he moved his hips with Levi's thrusts, riding him uncontrollably to feel Levi's hard cock inside him.

"Lev-ngh…cum inside me!" he begged. Levi suddenly stopped, prompting Eren to whine and try to force himself down on Levi's cock. But Levi gripped his hips so he couldn't move.

"Answer me first and then I'll cum just like you want me to." Desire clouded his mind and he became far needier to feel his boyfriend's cock. But yes, he wanted to be with him for the rest of his life.

"Ah-yes! Yes! I'll marry you! Please fuck me!" Levi smirked.

"Good boy." Eren cried out when Levi thrust hard into him, making him cum all over his chest.

* * *

Their wedding later on was an affair Eren couldn't stop smiling about. Mikasa decided to grin and bear with it for his sake and got along with Levi just enough to agree that Eren looked amazing in his wedding tux. Hanji and Petra were helping Levi straighten his tie while Erwin decided to go flirt with Armin at the open bar, his hand casually on top of the younger man's. Jean and Marco were dancing around with Krista, Ymir, Connie and Sasha. Levi's other assistants Eld, Gunther and Oruo were playing security team and kicking out whoever they thought was causing trouble for the wedding. Bertolt and Reiner were doing the same as Eren's team. Eren's parents Grisha and Carla were beaming happily at their son's happiness. Eren's childhood friend Annie was helping him with his tie and gave him a small smile to congratulate him. He gave her a bigger one in turn and rushed out to join Levi and made his vows to be with him until death do they part. They exchanged wedding rings with their vows, Levi sliding a new ring onto the place where his engagement ring used to be. The ring was gold with diamonds and sapphires forming what looked like wings on the top. He loved the ring and was surprised that Levi had picked the design, taking the duplicate and placing it on Levi's.

* * *

They spent the next half year happy together. Eren and Levi told each other almost everything and things looked like they were only going up. And when I say 'almost' and 'looked,' I mean that Eren was in for a rough awakening.

Levi split his days off between spending them with Eren and working more overtime with Hanji for research at the hospitals lab. Eren didn't mind. Levi wasn't the best for nothing. But he was concerned because there would be days that Levi didn't come home until the next afternoon. And when he came home, he was tired and stressed. But still, he managed to smile at him and sleep soundly as long as Eren was with him.

His work brought in another gang member against Recon and he had treated him as diligently as possible, ignoring the man's crass remarks about Eren's supple ass and how close he was to taking out Recon's men despite getting his ass handed to him. He even spouted some nonsense on having blackmail on Heichou, stating that Eren might give his ass up to him once he took over Recon. He stopped making remarks when he looked at Eren's hand, staring at him like he was Death himself. He wasn't sure why, maybe because there was a syringe ready to shoot the loud fucker. The man had suffered a gunshot to the leg and a barrage of bruises from being beaten half to death, shattering three ribs and snapping his humerus in two places. He had to stay in the hospital for the next week to recover and undergo surgery, but he received papers noting that the patient be moved to a physical therapy facility despite still needing surgery.

Eren shook his head as he read the file with Armin, fingering his wedding ring as he thought.

"He shouldn't have been moved. He's my patient. Who signed the release?" he asked roughly. The flustered nurse shakily shrugged.

"I don't know, Dr. Ackerman. I was just told that the patient was to be transferred right after you found him a bed." Eren frowned and slammed the file down.

"I didn't sign the release. And the patient needs surgery for the bullet piercing his femur. He's in no shape to change hospitals under short notice." Armin pulled him away from the nurse.

"You know what's strange? Most gang members are assigned to physical therapy facilities after they've been stabilized. Remember my patient a year ago? He was found dead after he left the hospital." He was right about that. Eren narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, but how does Recon have the power to take our patients after release? Even if the therapy places handed them over, they can't unless authorized to do so. Something's not right about this." There wasn't enough time to dwell on it when their pagers signaled that they were needed.

Eren had his face mask on while he was stitching up a cut for a teenager who was in a skateboarding accident. He couldn't help but think about his patient. The guy was a fucking creep, but he was his patient. The facilities didn't have equipment to give him the surgery he needed for his femur.

He finished the stitches and smiled at the kid, letting him be taken to a room to recuperate and check for other internal problems before going back to the file for the previous patient. He flipped to see where the man was taken and quickly jot down the facility name on a sticky note. He was just going to check and see if his patient was going to get the surgery he needed.  _'Wings of Healing,'_  he thought, the name sounding familiar.

"Wings of Healing?" asked Levi when they met up for coffee in the hospital cafeteria. "It's a physical therapy clinic and rehab center. Why do you want to go there?"

Eren poured sugar into his coffee. "My patient's been transferred there and he shouldn't be. He's not ready for it since he was barely stabilized for his pain last night. There's so much to be done that physical therapy shouldn't be an option yet. I just want to ask if they are gonna give him osteopathic surgery for his femur."

Levi sighed. "Don't worry about it-"

"I can't," Eren cut him off. Levi tended to not care for the well-being of patients who were the scum of the earth. "He's still my patient and I didn't sign his release. I'm just worried."

For a moment, Levi looked ready to fight against him because of it. But he sighed and shook his head. "I'll go check for you. Erwin knows for sure if they'll give him the necessary treatment and I'll be there just in case. Just go home after work and I'll see you there, alright?"

Eren smiled, thankful that Levi was going to make sure for him. He gave him a kiss and stood up. "Are you going to come home tonight for dinner?"

Levi hummed in thought. "I hope so. But Hanji says that she thinks she's reached a breakthrough for an antidote. But you know how those end." Eren chuckled.

"Yeah, three hours of saying what she did and then one hour trying to convince you that it's a breakthrough." He gave him a light kiss. "Try to come home and rest. You've been doing long surgeries lately and don't rest as much as you need to."

Levi made a 'tch' sound. "I've been doing surgeries for years, brat. I'll be fine. You're still an amateur." The pout he loved was back on his face.

* * *

Eren had finally finished his work long past sunset. Armin was sleeping at his desk and had to stay a little longer, so he couldn't say goodbye so his friend could catch what little rest he could. An ER nurse ran up to wish him good night, bowing her head. He smiled.

"Oyasumi nasai." The nurse nodded to him, a polite grin on her face.

"I believe you're happy to head home now. Poor Dr. Ackerman can't leave the hospital until the research session is done, I hear. He hasn't left all day." His eyes widened. So Levi wouldn't have been able to check on his patient for him. Understandable. He's done a lot for the hospital and Eren could handle it on his own.

He drove to the physical therapy facility on his own. Only to be enraged when he saw that the building was closed. The file had said that it was a 24-hour clinic and as a doctor, visiting hours meant nothing to him. But the dark windows with only nightlights made him believe otherwise. Strangely enough, the door was unlocked and he silently slipped inside.  _'If you're going to close, at least lock up properly,'_  he scolded in his mind. But as he slowly shut the door, he realized that he had no idea where to start. Maybe find his patient? But he couldn't just go opening doors and disturbing the other patients.

He started walking down the dimly lit halls and saw that all the doors were shut. They were all sleeping at this hour. But where could he go? The only door open throughout the whole floor was a dark stairway where he needed a flashlight. It had a security pad that usually needed a code to open the door, but it was already opened so…down he goes.  _'Talk about the creeps,'_ he thought, quietly making his way down the stairs. This idea was going to get him fucked over. He stopped a few steps down. Fuck this, he was going to run outta here and check tomorrow. What was he going to do down there if there were no doctors or nurses making rounds? Determined, he turned back and started to go back up.

"He's getting his blood all over me. Disgusting. I thought the meds you gave him was supposed to keep him still." Levi's voice and whimpering came from the bottom of the stairs. Eren froze.  _'Levi?'_

"You said give him pain, so I made a pain inducer. You never said to keep him from moving," replied Hanji. Curious, Eren slowly headed back down the steps to their voices. At the bottom of the stairs was a hallway with a bright light coming from a different room. The voices got louder until he reached the doorway. His heart dropped and he felt sick to his stomach.

Levi, Hanji, Petra, Oruo, Eld, Gunter and Erwin were in the room together wearing lab aprons, gloves and face masks like in the hospital. They stood over Eren's patient, who was on a metal table and gagged. He tried screaming through the gag, shaking uncontrollably with sobs. His arms were covered in deep cuts with blood flowing freely from the wounds. Oruo was sticking a torch close to the bullet wound, the torch turned off. Everyone had a different torture instrument in their hands from scissors, scalpels and an autopsy saw. The patient's eyes were wide with fear, kicking around to try to get away from them. Levi frowned behind the mask and jerked his knee up, ramming the man's skull.

"Oi, shut the fuck up already. It's your fucking fault for trying to bluff saying you had shit on me." Eren covered his mouth with both hands. The patient had said earlier that he had dirt on Heichou. Did that mean…? Petra spoke next.

"Heichou, we made sure that it was a bluff, but apparently he already went around with rumors about you having traitors in our circle. We've dispatched several units to deal with them and we haven't located his leader yet." Levi scoffed.

"Then hurry up and find him."

"We're trying, sir."

' _Holy shit.'_  Eren collapsed onto his knees. He married Heichou. This whole time he didn't know that his boyfriend, husband now, was Recon's leader. What the hell did he just get himself into?

The man on the table saw his movements, looking over with wide eyes. Eren froze, shaking his head and mentally begging for him not to give him away.

Too late.

The man screamed to him, getting their attention. Levi was getting annoyed.

"What the fuck are you screaming at?" He looked over to where the man was looking and saw Eren on the ground just outside the door. His jaw dropped, blood running cold.  _'Fuck.'_

"Eren..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's chapter one! Please tell me what you think and again, I apologize for any confusion. Feel free to let me know if you were confused or have any concerns with this chapter. Next chapter preview:
> 
> "Who the fuck are you? No! Please! Don't kill me!"
> 
> "Wait for me at home. I promise I'll explain everything."
> 
> Mikasa. Help. House.


	2. Leaving a Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

Eren was frozen to his spot on the floor. Why couldn't he move?!

"Who the fuck are you?" he breathed. This wasn't the Levi he married. His Levi was a doctor. He healed people, not force them to beg for death.

Levi's throat went dry when Eren looked at him fearfully, ignoring the screaming man on the table and his friends' frightened stares. Eren could barely breathe, looking at the blood splatter on Levi's apron and on his face mask. He barely made a noise when Levi stepped away from the metal table and slowly made his way to him. His eyes were wide. Was he angry? Eren couldn't tell behind the mask. When Levi reached up and pulled the mask down to his chin. He looked as shocked as he was. Like he walked in on Eren hacking the guy up.

He started to back away slowly to keep his distance from his husband.  _'You married a fucking monster, Eren. Get the fuck up and run!'_  his mind screamed at him. He jolted to life and quickly tried to scramble up and leave. Levi moved faster and trapped Eren by pinning him against the wall, forcing him to stay on the floor as he went on his knees. Levi touching him with the gloves that had his patient's blood brought back his voice. He screamed with everything he had.

"No! Please! Don't kill me!" he pleaded, almost bashing his head into the wall. Levi managed to yank off his gloves and grabbed Eren's cheek with one hand.

"Eren! Calm down!" he shouted over Eren's screams. Eren refused to give up, trying in vain to get away from him. He was able to kick Levi in the stomach, but was quickly overwhelmed when Oruo, Petra, Eld and Gunther held him down. Erwin helped Levi up and Hanji ran over in a panic with a syringe in hand. Eren quickly saw the needle and went pale. Was that the same meds they gave to the man on the table?! He was still crying out in pain like he was being tortured even when no one was doing anything to him. Eren tried to get out of everyone's grip, fear bringing tears to his eyes.

"No! No please! I won't tell anyone about this! Please don't kill me! Levi!" he screamed, hoping Levi really loved him enough to save him. Levi turned to see why he was freaking out more, rage burning in his core when he saw Hanji and her syringe.

"Don't use that shit on him! He's my fucking husband, you shitty four-eyes!" She shook her head quickly.

"It's not the pain inducer! It's just a sedative!" Levi pinned her with a glare, grabbing her throat.

"He's not an animal. Put it away." She didn't relent.

"But he'll hurt himself if he keeps struggling!" she argued. Eren struggled and managed to kick Oruo in the stomach. The man grunted and let go, but Eren quickly slipped out of Petra, Eld and Gunther's hold when they were distracted by Oruo. He ran toward the man to see if he was okay, but was held back by Levi.

"Don't get near him! He isn't worth it!" Eren tried to fight him off.

"Fuck you! Get away from me! I don't even know who you are anymore! Why the fuck are you killing people?!" Levi growled out of frustration.

"I don't have time to explain everything-"

"Bullshit! A whole fucking year?!" Eren shouted. Levi knew he dug himself a deep hole. He had to explain himself, but with finding the leader of the man, it would have to wait. Petra quickly ran in with her phone by her ear.

"Heichou! We found the leader! What are your orders?!" Levi looked at her, then back at Eren, who glared at him defiantly. The older man kissed Eren deeply, hoping he would calm down somewhat. He could practically taste the panic on Levi's lips. And he wanted to bite his fucking tongue off. He pulled away and placed his forehead against his.

"Wait for me at home. I promise I'll explain everything." Eren shook his head.

"No. I'm not going home with you, you fucking psycho." Before Levi could try to convince him, Petra called out again.

"Heichou!"

"Shut the fuck up! Tell the guys to hold their shit and I'll go handle it." He turned back to Eren. "I'm going to see you at home. I'll explain everything. Oruo, take him home-"

" _Your_  place," his voice was devoid of any emotion, "I want a divorce."

Levi kept his voice calm despite the panic coursing through. "Eren, please. You should go home. It's not safe here."

Eren's laugh was empty. "I think he agrees." He nodded his head over at his patient. He had to get away. If he called the cops, would they even believe him? Recon was rumored to have control over the police. He didn't want to see if that was true or not. But he had to play along just so their guard was down.

"Okay fine. I'll go home. I'll wait for you. Please promise you'll tell me the truth?" He held Levi close. But he didn't feel like the Levi he loved. Not with the look and smell of blood on him. Levi nodded, feeling a little relieved that he would be there.

"I promise." Eren genuinely smiled when he saw Levi's face. This was the last time he was going to see him again. He gave him a deep kiss and let Levi kiss him back.

"Goodbye."

* * *

Oruo took him to Eren's car, taking his keys. "You want to sit in front, boss?" he asked carefully. Eren's face was blank.

"I'll sit in the back." He sighed as he sat in the front. Starting up the car, he glanced over at Eren through the rearview mirror.

"I know you're upset, boss. But Heichou hasn't said anything to you because he was scared that you would leave him." Eren snorted.

"Jesus, he's smart." Oruo reversed and started to drive.

"You said you were gonna wait for him and listen." Eren mentally cursed at himself. He did say that.

"I said I was gonna listen, but that doesn't mean I'm changing my mind about the divorce." It wasn't a lie. Oruo groaned.

"Come on-" He was cut off when they went over a bump, forcing him to bite his tongue. Eren used it to interrupt while Oruo cried out in pain as blood tricked down his chin.

"Hey, you didn't unknowingly marry a fucking crime lord. Don't say 'come on' to me," Eren snapped. He sighed and sat back. "So you're just dropping me off and leaving, right?" He wanted to keep casual so Oruo wouldn't get any ideas.

Oruo shook his head. "I'll be keeping watch for you. And to make sure you don't do anything brash." He gave him a pointed look. Eren scoffed.

" _I'm_  gonna do something brash? I didn't fucking torture people. And what could I do, sell him out to another gang? Don't look at me like that," he added in an annoyed tone when Oruo looked appalled. "I don't know any gangsters."

He gasped in false surprise. "Oh wait, technically I do. You know, being married to one without knowing it." He stressed the last part with the blankest face he could muster.

Oruo waved his hand dismissively. "Okay okay, I get it. You can be pissed off if you want to." He left him to steam it off, focusing on driving. "But Heichou loves you. You should know that."

Eren said nothing, focusing on his phone that he hid behind Oruo's seat. He quickly found Mikasa's name and sent her a quick text without taking too much time and getting Oruo to suspect him.

'Mikasa. Help. House.' He sent the message knowing she would understand that he was in trouble and she needed to be careful.

When they reached the suite, Oruo shocked Eren by pulling out a gun.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Oruo rolled his eyes.

"How else can I keep you safe?" He put the gun on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. "I'll be here keeping watch and won't wave it around like an asshole." He talked slowly like he was talking to a kid. Eren growled, but was worried about Mikasa.

"Fine!" He sat at the dining table and gave the impression that he was waiting for Levi to come home while working on some paperwork from the hospital. Oruo shook his head and turned on the TV. At the table, Eren used his paperwork to cover up a note he was writing to Levi. A goodbye letter. His hand shook from anger. From sadness and betrayal. The tears from earlier stayed behind so he could write in peace without showing weakness to a piece of paper.

Eren kept his eyes on Oruo as he snuck his way to the bedroom. He quickly threw the note on the bed and started grabbing some clothes and whatever money he could find in their room. Luckily he had a good amount of money from his parents thanks to his dad being a doctor. He rifled through his drawers to see if there was any money he hid, pausing when he found his engagement ring. It wasn't his to take. Levi bought it, so it was his. But he didn't have the heart to give back his wedding ring. That would be a reminder of what time they had together. He grabbed the clothes he was taking and stuffed them in a small duffel bag, shoving it under their bed in case Oruo would check on him.

He took a deep breath, scratching his head over how he would distract Oruo once Mikasa came.

Oruo kept his gun close while watching the TV. Eren wasn't happy and it was more likely that Levi would be on edge. And when he was on edge, people were dying left and right. It wasn't going to be good if Eren left him. He jumped when Eren dropped a giant trash bag near the front door.

"Oi, what are you doing?" he asked, getting off the couch and making his way to him. Eren sighed and wiped sweat off his forehead.

"I'm gonna throw away the garbage in the trash chute down the hall. If I clean the apartment nice enough, Levi won't get distracted about how dirty it might be. I'll be gone for a few minutes!" Just as Eren wanted, Oruo quickly grabbed the bag.

"I'll do it," he offered. He was afraid the brat would bolt if he turned his back. "You can't leave or else I'll beat you up, got it?"

Eren grit his teeth. "I won't. I'm not an idiot."

Oruo lifted the bag and carried it out of the suite, pausing to look at Eren. He glared at him.

"The trash isn't going to throw itself away." Oruo's lips tightened, raising a hand and pointing to the floor.

"Stay. Here." Eren rolled his eyes.

"I heard you the first time." He let out a breath when Oruo left. He ran to his phone and saw that Mikasa texted him back. 'In the elevator. Open the door.'

He opened it for her, ran to the bedroom and snatched the duffel bag from under the bed, slinging it over his shoulder. He had enough money in his accounts to last a while and he could find work at a clinic not connected to Trost. But money wasn't as important as running away from Levi.

"Eren?" he heard from the living room. He grinned in relief. Mikasa.

"Mikasa!" He ran out with his bag and saw her looking worried. She gave him a tight hug.

"What's wrong? Where's the midget?" she asked, seeing if Levi was around. Eren shook his head and grabbed her hand.

"Levi's Heichou." Her eyes grew wide with shock.

"Heichou? The gang leader?" He waved dismissively, afraid Levi might pop up out of nowhere.

"I'll explain later! We gotta go!" She quickly nodded and wrapped her arm around his, both turning to the door.

But Oruo was back. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. "What the hell is going on here?!"

They each took a step back together. Both Eren and Mikasa knew how to fight since they dealt with bullies picking on Armin as kids. High school and college was the same.

Mikasa ran at Oruo and jumped up, going for a kick. Eren ran after her and kicked right where he kicked him earlier. Oruo quickly dodged them both and grabbed Eren's bag strap and Mikasa's scarf, yanking them both back. He dove for his gun, but Eren flew over the couch and kicked the gun out of his reach. Mikasa ran over and punched Oruo across the face, sending him flying to the wall. Eren dropped the bag weighing him down and was tackled by Oruo in the midsection. He forced himself to stay standing, grabbing Oruo by his shoulder and pulling him forward while kicking his leg the opposite way, knocking Oruo to the ground. Annie had taught him this when they were younger and it was effective still. What a brilliant blonde she was.

When Oruo fell, Mikasa grabbed him by the back of his shirt and slammed him into the coffee table, breaking the glass into a thousand pieces. Eren grabbed his bag and Mikasa gripped his arm.

"Come-" The sound of a gun cocking got their attention. Oruo must've had a second gun on him. Eren yanked Mikasa back with him and both shouldered down the table, using it as a cover when Oruo got back up. He panted heavily, blood coming out of his mouth and from the cuts the glass gave him.

"Come out. Now!" he barked. They looked at each other, Eren shaking his head when she looked determined to leap over the table and knock Oruo out. It was too risky with a gun. Eren and Mikasa slowly raised their hands over the table and stood up. She glared at the other man.

"You'd shoot your boss's husband?" asked Mikasa dryly. Oruo kept the gun on her, but before he could answer, he was hit in the back of the head with a vase. The vase shattered and fell into pieces beside him, Annie behind with a piece of the vase. He was knocked out cold. Annie nodded to them.

"I came with Mikasa because she figured it was something wrong. Lucky I came when I did," she explained. Eren sighed in relief, but quickly grew serious.

"Let's go!"

* * *

They piled into Mikasa's car and Mikasa drove as fast as she could away from the suite.

"Levi is Heichou?" she asked quietly. He nodded, eyes on his wedding ring. Even if he had wanted to leave it, they were in a hurry to leave.

"Yeah, I caught him in the middle of torturing a patient of mine. Apparently he was spreading rumors about him." Mikasa sighed. She'd rather kick Levi's ass for making Eren sad, but Eren wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Recon had the police wrapped around their finger.

"So you want to run away. Where to?" He smiled a little.

"The beach where we have our summer home. Far away from Trost where everything is peaceful." Annie frowned.

"How do you know Levi won't find you?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes.

"I'll make sure he won't. He can do whatever the fuck he wants, but I'm not coming back to Trost. I'll get in contact with you guys for sure." Mikasa had a sad look on her face.

"I'll go with you." Eren shook his head.

"I don't want to drag you with me. This is my problem and I asked too much by asking you to help me run away." She wasn't deterred.

"I'm your sister. We are in this together." Again, he shook his head, not feeling ready for an argument against Mikasa.

"No. I'm not stopping your life for me." Annie interrupted before Mikasa could.

"Let him go. He's not out of our lives forever. Just think of it as moving." Eren rubbed Mikasa's arm.

"Please, Mikasa. I'll be fine. Just be sure to come visit me, okay?" She smiled a little.

"Okay."

* * *

It took more than three hours to get to the beach house. The house was two-story and made of white stone and glass. The lights were on, which was surprising. Eren stared in disbelief and turned to Mikasa. She nodded.

"I figured you wanted to come here, so I made some decisions before I went to pick you up." He carried his bag to the front door, Annie pressing the doorbell. The door flew open and Armin was there. He looked nervous and his eyes were red and puffy. His arms were around Eren in an instant.

"Eren! I was so worried! I hurried over right after work." Eren blinked. His bag dropped in the porch.

"Armin! What are you doing here?!" The blonde sighed in relief.

"I'm moving in with you! You can't change my mind!" he snapped when Eren opened his mouth to argue. He gave him another hug, this one gentler. "I'm here to protect you, Eren. Like you have for me. We went through school together. We've worked together at the hospital. I'll be here with you."

Eren's eyes stung with tears. He was touched that Armin was here with him. And he was sad to leave Trost. He realized that this was it. No more Levi. His heart wept with sadness with a tinge of relief. He loved Levi, still did, but it hurt more to realize who he was.

* * *

A warehouse held around twenty people inside, the building empty of workers and not very much light. But the light that was there illuminated enough for all to see the main commotion. Their Heichou stood in the middle, his raven hair black as Death's robes and the blood on his boot red as a rose. Levi absently stomped on the captured leader's face over and over, blood pooling the floor and teeth strewn about from the man's mouth. He sputtered and choked on the blood in his mouth, unable to move with his wrists and ankles nailed to the concrete floor. It wasn't a clean feat to accomplish, but Levi could care less. His thoughts were on Eren and the boy's wish to divorce him. He wanted to lock him up and keep him at his side forever, but he could never do that to him. He'd hate him more than he probably did now. The truth stung hard and Levi knew that Eren would do his absolute best to leave him. But Levi would do his best to keep him, to convince him that he wasn't a monster and to gain back the trust he was sure he lost. The brat made him feel whole and his feelings were genuine. If he knew about Levi after they met, he would have never made the effort to get to know him much less fall in love. He lifted his foot off and backed a few steps away. His men were all circled around him waiting for orders. Levi's face was completely passive. Doing this was far easier than having to talk to Eren who was dead set on that divorce.

"Hang him upside down. Now," he ordered harshly. A handful of people were quick to comply. The bloodcurdling screams of the leader as the nails were yanked out brought him no sense of fulfillment. He could barely give a damn about who this guy was. Just some shithead with a bad attitude and tried shoving drugs into their turf by using kids related to Recon members to deliver. The leader's body twitched as thick metal chains wrapped around his ankles and suspended him in the air. He could no longer respond coherently thanks to Erwin cutting his tongue out. His eyes were dull of life, but the spasms proved him alive. Petra handed Levi a blade, sharpened and cleaned to his standards. The leader had a shine of fear in his eyes as he saw the blade, but Levi was going to snuff them out. He made a cut into the artery in the neck, the blood running like a waterfall and melding into the blood on the floor. Levi turned to his subordinates.

"Leave him. And clean up the blood. I'm going home." Hanji pulled him aside as the others began the clean up. She looked guilty.

"I was supposed to lock the door for the clinic and the stairwell, but I got too excited about finding the rumor guy and making the pain inducer that I never locked the door after you all came in. Eren found out because of me." He couldn't work up any anger over it. He sighed heavily, surprising his friends.

"Eren was bound to find out. It wouldn't make me less than who I am if he never did. I was Heichou before we met and still am." I just hope I didn't ruin my marriage. He doesn't say that out loud. Petra smiled gently, reading his mind.

"But he's waiting for you at home!" she pointed out. It meant that he was willing to stay and work things out. Levi was hoping he would listen.

But when he found his door wide open, he panicked. Oruo was sprawled on the floor still knocked out with his guns on the floor. The coffee table was destroyed and the dining table was knocked over.

"Oruo!" Eld and Gunther ran over to check on him. Levi looked around wildly. Where was Eren?! Had they been followed and attacked?

"Eren!" He, Hanji, Petra and Erwin looked all around the suite for his husband. He checked the bedroom, hoping he was alive. But he wasn't there. On their bed was a letter. With forced steady hands, Levi picked up the letter and read:

'To Levi,

I loved you. Hell, I still do because I'm a shitty brat who makes dumb decisions without thinking of the consequences. I know why you didn't tell me, but it doesn't make it right. I won't stop you from doing what you want because I know I'd be powerless against you, so I'm leaving. Don't come after me. I want to be far away from you as I can because I might do something dumb and I don't want to be.

But I've realized that your way of the Hippocratic Oath is to choose who to save rather than save who you can. I can't do that. I'm not going to play God and decide who lives and dies. I'm not going to put people through what you do because I want to save humanity. I think you believe that you are, but that makes us different. Your world runs differently compared to my world. I am going to live the rest of my life as the doctor I wanted to be before we met. I already was, but you won't be a part of this new life anymore. Even if we worked things out and stayed together, holding you didn't feel the same anymore. I married a different Levi and fell in love with a lie that you made. I won't love you the same ever again. Every time I think of you, I'll think of what you gave me and what we had together, but I'll wonder if any of it meant something to you because it meant everything to me. I don't know you anymore. But I loved what you let me know about you. If you told me you loved me, I wouldn't know if I could believe you.

Goodbye,

Eren.'

Levi felt numb, the letter slipping from his hand. He was gone. And he ripped out his heart and took it with him, dragging it across the ground while he lived this life he was making for himself without him. He kept his tears inside, forcing himself to breathe. Crying now meant nothing if Eren couldn't see how leaving him made him feel.

Erwin ran into the room in a panic. "Levi! I just got a call from the nurses that Armin and Eren quit the hospital. No one's seen them since-Levi?" he asked when he turned around with a glare on his face.

"Eren left me." The others hurried in, Oruo groaning in pain. He rubbed the back of his head.

"It was his sister and someone I didn't see. Somehow he called them and he and his sister attacked me." Levi pointed his glare to him, clenching his fist.

"Why did you have your gun out?" he asked calmly. Oruo gulped, sweat matting his face.

"It was just to get them to stop. I wasn't planning on using it, Heichou," he added quickly with his hands up. There was no use hitting him over it. Eren had gotten away. He turned to everyone else.

"Find him. Send out a search and don't relent. I don't care if it takes me fifty years to see him again. Eren is mine," he said this quietly to himself, voice dropping to a growl. He was pissed as all hell. That brat wanted nothing to do with him? He wanted to stay away and never see him again? Too fucking bad. He wasn't going to let Eren leave him.

"And find that bitch and her fucking accomplice!" he ordered when they turned to leave. They saluted him.

"Hai, Heichou!" Everyone except Erwin left. The blonde sat on the couch, taking deep breaths and rubbing his face. Armin was gone too then. The two were dating steadily as their schedules allowed. Now that had been stopped abruptly because Armin chose his best friend over his lover. He was more depressed than angry. He turned to Levi, who was reading the letter again with a frown on his face.

"What'd he write?" Levi scoffed.

"Bullshit," he answered shortly. Erwin sighed.

"Levi. Really." Levi glared at him.

"If you want to know so fucking badly, then you read it." He threw it at him and stomped to the kitchen to make himself some tea to calm down. Erwin read through the letter, feeling more depressed and sighing.

"If he doesn't come back, would you forget about him?" Levi slammed the kettle onto the stove.

"If you forget Armin, then I'll forget about Eren. Think about it that way." Erwin could say nothing.

* * *

As Eren settled into his bed, he found it hard to sleep. He was going to be living without Levi. He didn't think he could do it before, but now he had no choice. Eventually, he'd be able to sleep alone without thinking about him every night.

The nights for the next two years made him feel more alone with his thoughts filled with Levi. He just got better at ignoring them.

For Levi, he imagined Eren sleeping next to him to get him through the day even though he wasn't found. Yet. Levi wasn't going to give up so soon. He dreamed of the day Eren would be sleeping in his arms again and allowed himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will flash forward to two years and don't worry, Eren and Levi won't be apart for long! Next chapter preview:
> 
> "Guess we need to go to Trost then."
> 
> "But I think Eren and Armin are at this clinic."
> 
> "Armin! Watch out!"


	3. Living without a Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.”
> 
>  
> 
> ― Khalil Gibran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey there! Time for the timeskip! Two years after Eren left!

_Two Years Later_

Eren stretched his arms as the morning ocean breeze drifted into his room. It felt amazing every morning as he got up to get ready. Like clockwork, Armin was already up making breakfast for the two of them before they would head off to work in the small clinic just a few blocks from their house. Every morning, Eren would put on his medical coat and stare at his wedding ring still on his finger. Taking it off felt wrong no matter how many times he tried to force himself to leave it on the nightstand. But no, it stayed. Stupid ass ring…

Armin tried living his life peacefully and while they both succeeded materially, inside they both craved for Trost's loud city and people. Their minds were still on the men they left and no matter what they did, they were in their thoughts.

' _Does he think about me still?'_

' _Has he moved on?'_

' _Does he care that I'm gone?'_  It didn't matter who thought what, they had similar variations of it. But afterwards, they convinced themselves and each other that they were happy and moved on.

The clinic they worked at wasn't as busy and high-stressed as Trost Hospital, but they gained a better relationship with the people and very rarely did they see a new face. They also changed their names so Recon wouldn't have an easier time finding them. Eren went by Eric Yans and Armin was now Aiden Aller. At one point or another, their friends made sure to visit them. Connie and Sasha brought wine and potatoes for some reason every time they visited, then Sasha would eat more than half on her own. Reiner, Bertolt, Marco and Jean visited every two weeks to keep them updated about the city and brought games for them to play until dawn. Krista visited often with Ymir dragged along, but all times were pleasant with Ymir encouraging them in that cynical way of hers. Mikasa and Annie visited religiously with Eren's parents, who Eren had to lie to in order to keep them safe. Things weren't good married to Levi, so he left. He never wanted to speak to him again and they accepted it. Carla suspected otherwise, but the look on her son's face every time he mentioned Levi kept her mouth shut.

As Eren and Mikasa washed the dishes one night just a few months after his leaving, she spoke about what happened after she and Annie returned to Trost.

_Flashback_

Mikasa was strapped to a chair with Annie behind her facing the other way. Levi and his friends surrounded them. He wasn't wearing any of his clothes used for torturing. Instead, he wore black pants and a white long sleeve. Hanji had gone through Mikasa's phone and found the messages Eren sent her, confirming Oruo's story.

"Where is he?" Levi spoke in clipped tones. She looked up at him defiantly, just like Eren had.

"What are you going to do if I don't tell you? Torture me? I don't think Eren would like it if you hurt his sister." Levi was emotionless.

"I know. That's why I won't." It took her by surprise. Annie spoke next, bored.

"If you aren't going to torture us then you're better off just letting us go because we won't tell you." Erwin cleared his throat.

"And Armin?" he asked. Annie shifted her glance to him. She was protective of Armin and that Erwin knew.

"With Eren. Better than being close to a lowlife like you." Mikasa ignored them.

"You haven't told us why you want Eren back. And for him to be angry with you isn't wrong. Who'd want to marry Heichou if he might turn around and kill them one day?" Levi glared at her. How he wanted to pluck her eye out and make her eat it.

"Don't speak as if you know me." Mikasa leaned back in her chair.

"That's right, I don't know you. I'm not your wife. But even your husband didn't know you, so I know just as much about you as he does." Levi forced himself to remain calm.

"Eren is my husband. I married him because I loved him, not to torture him." Mikasa cut in.

"And what if he rats you out? Like any decent human being would?" Levi had thought of this long before they got married.

"I'd kill him as quick and painlessly as possible." He ignored her glare and everyone's shock. "Then I'd kill myself. I'd be dying while alive without him anyway. I might be able to live as I did before we met, but life has little meaning if he isn't there. That brat will be the death of me and I honestly don't give a shit if he gives it to me. If he dies and then I do, I'd find him and keep him by my side."

"What if he never wanted to be with you again?" she asked, keeping herself from showing a reaction he would use against her.

"Would you be able to stay away from Eren if he begged you to?" Levi asked simply, eyes glinting with anger. "That bullshit they say 'if you love somebody, let them go' is wrong. I love Eren, that's why I can't let him go."

They were silent for a few more minutes until Levi sighed. He turned to Petra.

"Let them go. They're useless to me." She nodded and went to untie them. Mikasa kept her eyes on Levi.

"'For if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.'" Levi heard her, but didn't say a word as they were escorted out. They didn't see the small smile on his face.

"That little shit's too stubborn to come back. That's why I need to get him back."

_End Flashback_

She didn't know about the last part to tell him. From what Jean heard, Heichou had ordered his men to find Eren and Armin no matter what. Their efforts never stopped despite the dozens of dead-ends and false alarms they encountered. They laid low since then and never did anything to garner the attention of Trost. Apparently Levi had remained the same for the most part. He was still Heichou, but at work he was the doctor saving lives. But Eren kept himself from thinking about him. The only time he reached out to Levi was sending him the divorce papers to officially split them up, but since he never got a call from a lawyer, Levi probably threw them out. He didn't know whether to feel touched or immensely bothered.

* * *

At work, Eren helped wrap the ankle of a little girl, the child smiling at him. Eren pet her on the head.

"You can go now. Take a lollipop from the nice nurse." The girl giggled and hopped off the bed, running with a limp to the nurse. Eren facepalmed.

"Walk or you'll trip!" he scolded. "Sometimes I want to spend a day  _without_  finding you in here!" The response he got was another giggle. He rolled his eyes and shook his head with a soft smile. Armin watched over his paperwork and smiled.

"Last time it was a knee scrape," he said. Eren snorted.

"Yeah, and next time it'll be a-" He was cut off when one of the fisherman hurriedly rushed in.

"Dr. Yans! Dr. Aller! Come quick! A man fell off his horse and broke his arm!" Eren and Armin quickly rushed after the fisherman, bringing their med kits.

A man with a white bandana wrapped around his head was surrounded by beach residents and his horse that was tugging at the bandana. He cried out.

"Ow! Shallot! Knock that off!" The children around him laughed while a woman hurried to tug the horse away from him. Eren and Armin made their way to him after parking their Jeep. His left wrist was broken and was bent at an odd angle, covered with a towel so the children didn't see. Eren spoke first.

"Sir, we're the doctors around here and we'll do our best to help. Let me see your wrist." The man was quick to oblige. By the way his wrist stuck out, Eren figured the man's scaphoid and lunate were fractured or out of place. They would need an x-ray to figure out the rest. Armin came over with a wrist splint, wrapping the man's wrist and giving him some pain meds to make it more bearable.

"So what's your name?" Armin asked. The man grinned.

"Dita Ness! I'm from Trost and came here to enjoy the sea breeze with my horse-Shallot!" he yelled when he noticed his horse going for his bandana again. Eren and Armin laughed.

"You'll be fine, sir. We'll get you stabilized and ready to go. Did you arrive here with anybody?" Dita shook his head.

"No, but the hotel I'm staying in is nice enough to take me back there once I'm healed." He kept talking to keep his mind off the pain. "I come here every year and last year I was busy, but I don't think I've seen you guys around here before. New?"

Armin nodded. "Yeah! Two years now, right Eric?" he asked, using Eren's fake name. Eren nodded.

"Yeah. Sir, your horse will have to be sent back to the hotel. Our clinic doesn't have a stable for some reason." Around him, people began to laugh as well as Dita. With Dita's wrist wrapped up, he stood and was taken back to the clinic in their Jeep.

They helped him onto a bed and he let out a groan as he was lowered onto the soft bed.

"Thanks so much!" Armin nodded and went back to his paperwork. Eren was straightening out the sheets, Dita watching him patiently. He immediately was blinded by Eren's ring shining in the sun. Eren quickly moved his hand.

"Sorry!" Dita smiled.

"It's alright! Are you married?" he asked, holding out his hand so he can see Eren's hand. Eren held it out, letting the man see the sapphires and diamonds.

"It's a little complicated," he replied, being vague as possible. Dita smiled knowingly.

"Marriage can be. Eventually it will be resolved." Eren smiled a little. He had to change the subject or else it would only get awkward.

"Yeah. Is there a phone call you'd like to make to anyone? It's available to use. If you need me, I'll be doing paperwork so all you need to do is call out." Dita nodded.

"I'll do that. Thank you!" Eren nodded and left, touching his ring gently. Armin was happily talking on his phone, nodding along. He hung up after saying goodbye, smiling up at Eren.

"Ere-Eric!" he corrected quickly, "Guess what? The shipment of vaccines we've been needing are available!"

Eren grinned. "Really? Thank God! When are they coming in?"

That was when Armin's smile faltered. "We have to pick the medicine up at Trost from the medical supply store. They won't deliver down here because the road isn't fit to accommodate the delivery truck."

Eren stared at him, then angrily chucked his pen at the nearest wall. "Bullshit! Lazy fuckers…"

Armin smiled sadly. "But we have to go get them since we both need to sign off on them. We can decide the time to go later." Eren huffed and sat in his chair, pouting at their predicament.

"Guess we need to go to Trost then."

* * *

Dita got up and to the phone, the nurse on another phone and talking about appointments. Dita took the phone and went out to make his call, pressing numbers and holding it to his ear.

" _Hello?"_  Dita grinned.

"Hiya!" The person on the other line giggled.

" _Dita! How's your vacation?"_  she asked. He sighed, his wrist was still in pain.

"I fell off Shallot and broke my wrist." The woman gasped.

" _How awful! Do you need someone to come get you?"_  He lowered his voice, keeping an eye on Eren and Armin who were doing their work.

"I didn't call for that, Petra. But I think Eren and Armin are at this clinic." For a moment, there was silence.

" _How do you know?"_  she asked quietly. The last few leads led them nowhere. Dita smiled a little.

"The 'Wings of Freedom' on Heichou's wedding ring. Eren's had the same one, did he not?" Petra was bouncing in her chair. People underground were the only ones who knew what the Wings of Freedom were and what they meant. It was Recon's emblem.

" _Hai! He did! Oh God, you found him!"_  Dita grinned.

"Shall we tell Heichou?" She quickly went to check on Levi, who was buried in blood as he was in the middle of surgery. He was concentrating hard and didn't look like he wanted to be bothered.

" _No,"_  she replied.  _"We'll go get him and bring him to Heichou. Like a surprise!"_

Dita shook his head. "I don't think the boy will like that."

Petra waved her hand.  _"Don't say that! Try to find out where he lives. Oruo and I will be there tonight to get him."_

* * *

Eren and Armin left the clinic once night had hit, leaving the nurse in charge. Dita was quick to find the address when the nurse was distracted when another patient came in with a bleeding hand. Now to call Petra.

It took Eren and Armin a little longer to get home because Armin wanted to sit and enjoy the breeze. They did every day, still enamored by the smell and look of the ocean.

"This will never get old," said Armin. Eren hummed in agreement. But he couldn't help but want Levi to be there watching the sun sink under the ocean. At that moment, his patient being tortured with Levi not showing an ounce of care forced the thought out of his mind. He quickly stood up and brushed the sand off him.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Armin agreed and stood.

They went into their dark house and quickly turned on the lights, taking off their med coats and hanging them. Armin headed to the bathroom.

"I'm going to shower!" he called out. Eren grinned.

"I'll go make tea." He made his way to the stove and grabbed the kettle. For some reason, he always bought the tea brand Levi introduced him to. Whether it was for sentimental value or not, Eren liked the taste. As he brought the box of tea down, he didn't notice Petra approaching him from the other doorway into the kitchen. Oruo had picked the lock of the patio door and she was able to sneak in. She smiled when she saw the box, seeing it was Levi's favorite. But she had more important things to do. The rag doused with chloroform in her hand was enough to incapacitate him. Her mouth was covered with her surgical mask and her identity hidden behind a hood. She ran over to him and covered his mouth with the rag, wrapping her arms around him to trap him in place.

Eren panicked when his mouth was covered, struggling in someone's arms as he was held in place. He held his breath, knowing it was probably chloroform. He back kicked his assailant, hearing a cry when he hit the shin. But she held on for dear life despite his right arm freed. He wasn't going to be able to hold his breath for long. He grabbed the person by the back of their shirt and threw them over the counter, bowling over their kitchen counter stools. Petra cried out as she hit the floor, cursing herself for forgetting Eren could fight. Eren glared at her.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he demanded, grabbing a long knife from the knife block. Oruo suddenly flew through the living room from the patio, wearing the same clothes as Petra and armed with a water balloon. He bombed it at Eren's chest, the balloon popping and covering his front in liquid. Eren blinked, looking down at his shirt. The sweet smell was distinct. Chloroform.

"Fuck!" He threw off his shirt and shoved it on the floor so he couldn't smell it. Armin hurried down the stairs with a baseball bat, seeing the intruders and gripping the weapon in his hands. He snuck behind Petra with the bat ready to hit her with it. But Oruo saw him. With another water balloon, he aimed at Armin and threw it. Eren's eyes widened.

"Armin! Watch out!" he shouted. Surprised, Petra looked behind her and Armin pushed her towards the balloon, nailing her in the head and filling her nostrils with the scent of chloroform. She stumbled for a few seconds and was out like a light. Oruo cursed, moving out of the way when Eren went at him with the knife at his throat. He ran forward and grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and dodging Armin who swung his bat at his head. Oruo disappeared through the door before the others could catch him. Eren hurried to lock the patio doors, panting as his adrenaline ran out. Armin placed the bat against the wall, taking a deep breath.

"Who were they?" he asked. Eren shook his head, loosening his muscles.

"I don't know. Call the police! Maybe they can catch them!" He started running towards the open door, but Armin stopped him by wrapping his arms around his waist from behind, Eren dragging him with him and slowing down.

"Wait! Are you gonna go after them?! The police are gonna arrest you for waving a knife around this late at night!" Eren tried to shove Armin off.

"Get off, Armin! They're getting away!" he shouted. But the blonde stayed on.

"You're a doctor, not a soldier, Eren! Quit it!"

" _You_  quit it!"

Armin called the police and had to sit on Eren's back to keep him from going after their assailants despite the brunette's struggles. The police were unable to find the couple, but took Eren's chloroform-soaked shirt to dispose of it safely. Officers patrolled the neighborhood for the remainder of the night to ensure their safety. Eren and Armin couldn't sleep a wink despite that and stayed awake just in case the intruders would come back. Eren could only think that Levi would do something like this. He had the power to, but it didn't sound like his thing. Seriously, chloroform balloons? Juvenile, bratty shit.

He jumped when he accidently dropped the knife on the floor, the steel clattering as it hit the wood. Armin jumped too and sighed.

"It's three in the morning. Let's go to sleep or something…" he said it, but didn't know if he could go through with it. Eren shook his head, picking up the knife and placing it on their kitchen counter.

"Can't. Way too nervous." He was zoning in and out, but had to stay awake. Armin yawned.

"Just try. We need our rest." He stretched out and began to feel sleepy. Eren sat on the counter stool and slumped on the counter with the knife close for him to grab. Armin lay on their couch, the bat on the coffee table next to his phone.

"We have to be awake at six tomorrow," he said sleepily, setting an alarm on his phone. Eren grunted and let himself close his eyes, falling asleep slowly.

_Dream_

Eren heard the beeping of a heart monitor, his body weighing a ton against the soft mattress he was on. His wrists were tied down with soft limb restraints to the sides of the bed.  _'Bed rails?'_  he thought, looking at his wrists. Oxygen was entering through his nose by a nasal cannula, allowing him to breathe fine, but why was he here? At the foot of the bed was Levi, but he couldn't see his eyes as he made his way to Eren's side.

"Eren." His name was said softly, soothing Eren's thumping head.

_End Dream_

_Sie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jäger!_

Eren flew off his stool and flopped on the floor, heart racing at the sudden burst of loud music through Armin's phone. Armin spazzed out and fell off the couch, grabbing his bat as he pulled himself up. Eren panted, eyes feeling heavy but he stayed awake as he rubbed his head.

" _Armin_!" he yelled. The blonde shakily stood up, bat in hand as he whirled around.

"Where are they?!" he shouted, thinking the alarm meant the intruders. Eren went up and smacked his forehead.

"Your phone!" Armin immediately dropped his bat.

"Oh!" He quickly grabbed it and took several shaky swipes to shut the alarm. Eren glared at him.

"I keep telling you to change the ringtone! We need to wake up, not have a fucking heart attack! Who's gonna save us if we both had one?!" He stomped up the stairs to take a shower while Armin was still trying to turn off his alarm.

In the shower, Eren let the water run down his body as he thought about his dream. What the hell was he doing in a hospital and why was Levi there? He really hoped he wouldn't have to see him again and still had his number memorized just in case he called so they could screen it. He was doing fine for two years now. Sure, he couldn't date anyone again, but he had his patients and lovely neighbors. But while their demeanor was comforting, they just didn't  _know_  him. They couldn't find common ground mentally. They were sympathetic, but haven't dealt with what he deals with. And while Armin did, he didn't have the emotional connection with him like he had with Levi. Or the physical connection.

_Eren was facing the shower wall, bent over with his hands against the wall to brace himself. Water rained down on his already-hot body while calloused, familiar hands traced his back ,to his hip and hair. The hand on his hair gripped tight when he was being entered from behind. Eren threw his head back, moaning out loud as the person behind him began to move._

" _Ah, harder! Levi!"_

"Stop fucking thinking about him!" he yelled out loud, voice bouncing off the tiles. Instantly, the thoughts of Levi were gone. He finished his shower with cold water and left with the purpose to continue his day just like he had since coming to the beach house.

* * *

Oruo and Petra had returned to the hotel they were staying at before the police was searching the beach and neighborhoods for them. Petra was being treated by Oruo to prevent poisoning, resting the whole night until she was better. Oruo groaned when his phone rang, Levi's name appearing on the screen.

"What do we tell Heichou?" he asked. She shook her head.

"We can't tell him about Eren. He might have us killed for failing if he gets away. Tell him that we went to visit Dita because of his broken wrist."

Levi was surprised that Petra and Oruo had to leave so suddenly yesterday after he finished surgery. It was rare for them to leave Trost unless he sent them out on leads or to interrogate someone.

For the last two years, Levi had lived his life the way he had before he met Eren. He was Heichou still, torturing his enemies that crossed his path and saving the lives of patients coming to the hospital. The nurses in the emergency unit gossiped and questioned Eren and Armin's sudden disappearance.

" _Maybe they couldn't take the pressure. Trost has the highest stress when it comes to emergencies. Everyone is driven here once they get in the ambulance," said a male nurse in the break room._

" _Or maybe Eren and Armin were having an affair?!"_ He could almost kill the woman who said that.

" _No way! They're best friends," another nurse replied._

" _I think Eren couldn't handle being married to Dr. Ackerman. The guy doesn't talk about himself that much. Every time I saw them together, I really doubted if he was in love with the guy. Eren was more in love than he was. Why be with someone you don't know?"_

He assigned all of them to clean the hospital for a month. Idiots shouldn't have an opinion if they didn't know shit.

Looking for Eren was harder than he thought. The brat seemed to disappear off the face of the earth with that blonde mushroom head friend of his. The only thing he had received from Eren was a large brown envelope at home. At first he thought he could try and find out where Eren was, but he was angry to find divorce papers inside. That fucking brat. His fireplace liked the papers far more than he did. The flame engulfed the papers in seconds, making it a part of its embers. It was like how he wanted to keep Eren with him, despite how he didn't want to force him to stay by chaining him up. His marriage with Eren had nothing to do with his business as Heichou. He knew Eren wouldn't have approved. Eren wanted to save every life he came across. Levi thought people had to be worth saving. It was something he was raised with growing up. He knew what people were capable of doing when they sought a profit. Children were abused, used and sold to the highest bidder. His gang didn't deal with shit like human trafficking and prostitution. His dealt with nightclubs and weapons, mainly because Trost wasn't given much of the good shit that Mitras had. But would Eren have approved? No. His obsession for him turned for the worst over time. He loved Eren, but being apart from him for so long drove him crazy. He dreamt of him every night and being at the hospital, seeing the emergency unit and cafeteria where they had coffee reminded him of their days. Every time he opened the door of the suite, he'd think he would find Eren on the couch sleeping or making dinner. It didn't help that he imagined hearing Eren's greeting all the time welcoming him home.

At his desk while he was doing paperwork was a picture of him and Eren on their wedding day. At some point, he asked himself whether or not he should start throwing away Eren's things to try and move on, but once the thought crossed his mind it was gone. As long as he had hope, he would always wear his wedding ring. To Levi, Eren Yeager was Eren Ackerman so long as he didn't sign the papers, he was still his husband. By law, they were married, so Levi still had that to cling to.

But he reminded himself that he had to wait until they found another lead. Was that why Petra and Oruo were gone? And they didn't tell him.

He grabbed his phone and called Oruo, waiting a few rings until he answered quickly.

" _Ohayo, Heichou!"_  Levi growled.

"Where the fuck did you and Petra go? We have another surgery scheduled for today and the entire team needs to be there." Oruo chuckled nervously.

" _Well, Dita busted his wrist pretty badly and we got worried."_  Levi narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"He's been injured like that before. You haven't visited then. What's so different now?" At the hotel, Oruo began to sweat.

"O-oh! The doctor wants to see us! Gomen, Heichou. Gotta go!" He hung up in an instant. Levi sighed. He was hiding something. Whatever. They'd both be racked with guilt and eventually tell him. He set his phone down and got back to work, staring at the photo as he began to write.

* * *

The nurse Mina gasped when Eren and Armin told her in the office that they'd be going to Trost to get the medicine from the medical supply store.

"But how long would that take?" she asked softly. Eren winced.

"Hopefully not more than a day. We'll be quick, promise." Mina smiled.

"Okay. Be careful. I can handle the clinic until you two return. When will you go?" she asked. Armin sighed.

"Probably tomorrow. We'll be staying with a friend of ours so we don't have to book a hotel room. We want to get in and out of Trost as quickly as possible." On his bed, Dita was shaking with excitement. The failure last night had dampened his spirits thinking they got so close, but Eren and Armin fought back pretty brutally. Now that they were going to Trost, maybe they had a chance to nab them and bring them to Levi and Erwin. He hobbled over to the phone and grabbed it to call Petra.

Petra's response was an excited squeal. Maybe they could make their Heichou smile for the first time in two years. The man had fallen into a sort of depression where he threw himself into work so he wouldn't think about Eren and the divorce papers he was sent only a few days after he left. Two years must've felt like an eternity. Dita smiled as he hung up.

"He's coming back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I can't keep Levi and Eren apart any longer…
> 
> Next chapter preview:
> 
> "Welcome back to Trost…I guess."
> 
> "Perhaps you'd like to meet the researcher behind the vaccine? She's in the back right now! I'll go get her."
> 
> "Sir, Dr. Ackerman and Dr. Arlert were just in an accident."


	4. Returning to a Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi there! For those who asked, I don't have a certain day I update. But this is where the updates get slower. I'm studying for my MCAT and need to make myself proud and do well on it. I'll try to update when I can!

It took three hours to reach Trost by the time it was the afternoon and Annie luckily didn't live too close to the hospital. Mikasa gave them both a hug as they walked in with a day's worth of clothes. Maybe they should've brought more and camped out in Trost because of the intruder incident, but Trost wasn't better if not worse than their house.

Eren was pissed from car lag, but he accepted the hug before finding refuge on the floor. "Let's just get the meds and sleep until we have to leave."

Armin was quick to second it, flopping onto Annie's couch. Annie threw his bag onto the floor, sighing quietly.

"Welcome back to Trost…I guess." Both boys groaned in reply. Mikasa smiled gently.

"Maybe it'd be best for you two to rest first before you go pick up the medical supplies." Eren rolled onto his back.

"If I don't go now, I'll never want to once I wake up." Annie kicked his leg with little enthusiasm.

"Then get your ass up and go, or I'll make you pay my rent." Eren started to back away from her.

"Don't be such a bitch, Annie. Let me catch my breath and I'll go." He got up from the floor, Mikasa right next to him with a worried look.

"Eren, maybe you should wear a disguise just in case." He made a face.

"You know I suck at dress-up. Besides, it's the med supply store, not the hospital. Levi rarely went to the store because they deliver right to the hospital." Mikasa didn't look pleased.

"But what if he changes his mind?" Annie rolled Armin off her couch, who got up.

"Don't worry, Mikasa! We'll be fine!" He grabbed Eren's arm and dragged him out of the apartment. Annie slowly waved at them.

"They'll be careful enough." Mikasa's face said otherwise.

* * *

"I hate this fucking store," Eren drawled as Armin was parking along the curb outside the med supply store. "They don't deliver because of the roads? That's bullshit. That's because their asses are too lazy to drive three hours out."

Armin took off his seatbelt and got out of the car. "Well, we're here now. Might as well make the most of it!"

Eren was grumbling as they entered the store, finally understanding why Mikasa was so paranoid about him going. He really didn't want to stay in Trost longer than he should. Then again, they hadn't found the people who broke into their house either. Who the fuck were they? He pulled up his hoodie to cover his head as he headed to the cashier. Armin bowed his head to the old man in the front who smiled at them.

"Hi, we're the doctors from White Sand Clinic at Pearl Beach. We're here to pick up the vaccines. I'm Dr. Aiden Aller and this is my co-worker Eric Yans." The man nodded and pulled out some forms.

"Absolutely! I deeply apologize for not being able to book a delivery to Pearl Beach. Please sign here for the release and I'll bring you the meds right away!" Eren and Armin quickly went through the papers and signed away as the man came back with a few boxes and some info about the meds. He beamed.

"The vaccine this time around is much more effective in costs and protection against the virus going around this season." Eren took the info, reading about where it was best to apply the shot and the expected symptoms of the virus. The researcher behind the vaccine was Hanji Zoe. He should've known. Of course Trost would have all the vaccines. What if this was some king of plot to get him back to Trost? His paranoia was reaching its peak. He felt like a caged animal with a sniper scope on him. He grabbed Armin's arm, shocked when Armin flinched and looked at him like he didn't know Eren was behind him. He looked relieved.

"Sorry, I'm just-"

"Paranoid?" finished Eren, understanding how he felt. "Let's go back to Annie's."

He nodded to the old man, who hadn't heard them. "We'll take our leave."

Again, the old man beamed. "Perhaps you'd like to meet the researcher behind the vaccine? She's in the back right now! I'll go get her."

Fucking shit on a son of a bitch. She would take him straight to Levi. Armin and Eren grabbed the boxes in a rush. Eren's head was shaking wildly.

"Nonononono, we got the drugs and this paper thing that explains everything. We don't need to see anybody! Later!" he said quickly, running to the door with Armin right behind. Only to freeze when they reached their car.

Petra and Oruo were right at their Jeep, Petra waving at them. "It's been a long time, Eren!" she chirped. Eren was practically petrified. He was losing his grip on the boxes, but stayed tight just for them.

"How'd you find us?" he asked quietly. Petra's smile didn't lose a watt.

"Dita. He let us know." Eren felt betrayed. And to think they helped him. He swallowed, trying a smile.

"Are you gonna take us back to Levi?" he asked, voice almost cracking in fear. Oruo grunted.

"Why else would we break into your place?" Armin gasped.

"So it was you two?!" he shouted. Eren nudged him.

"Armin, it's okay. We'll just go with them." Armin looked incredulous, but saw Eren's nod and smiled a little. They were going to run the fuck out of there.

"You're right. No reason fighting." Petra grinned.

"I'm happy you two agree! Maybe you miss Heichou and Danchou?" she teased. Eren grit his teeth.

"You have no fucking idea. We'll put our meds in the car and go with you guys." He opened the trunk and they loaded the meds into the back. Once they had the boxes in, Eren shut the trunk. It was now or never. His adrenaline was pumping all at once. Armin had the keys in his hand, letting them dangle off his fingers. They nodded to each other and bolted to the front doors. Eren rammed into Oruo and Petra, knocking them over and diving into the passenger's seat. Oruo was the first to scramble up.

"Oi! Wait!" He helped up Petra as Hanji breezed out with a worried expression.

"What's going on-" she broke off when she saw Eren and Armin. "Ah!"

Eren felt tingles in the back of his neck as he hurried to put on his seatbelt. "Drive the fuck outta here!"

Their car zoomed off the curb and into the busy streets of Trost. Armin wasn't the most stable driver in high-tense situations, but with Eren still tired from driving straight to Trost with no stops, he had no choice. They nearly hit the car in front of them, but Armin swerved away and kept going.

"Where do we go?!" he asked. Eren shook his head and kept looking behind.

"It doesn't matter! Lose them first!" Behind them, Oruo, Petra and Hanji piled into a Cadillac, which was way faster than their cheap ass Jeep. Their panic reached eruption levels.

"Armin!"

"I know!" Armin took a sharp right, thankfully avoiding an accident and sped down the street with the Cadillac right behind them. Armin sped and took a left just when it was about to turn red, leaving the others behind. Eren drummed his dash in excitement.

"Yes! Get going! We're gonna lose them!" Armin was quick to comply, changing lanes to another and taking a right. It was pretty much weaving through traffic to get back to Annie's once they lost the others, who quickly appeared in a matter of seconds. Oruo had run some reds to get to them. Eren felt like a caged animal again. They were going to take him to Levi no matter what.

"They're right behind us!" Armin stepped on the gas harder and went right again, tires squealing against the pavement for going too fast. A car running a red slammed into them from behind, jumping the car forward to hit the car in front of them. The screeching sound of metal grinding and smashing against each other rang in their ears. Armin's head went forward at hit the steering wheel, knocking him out. Eren's vision blurred when the back of his head bounced off the head of his seat, then the front lurched him forward, painfully straining his neck at the whiplash. He heard screams and shouts of people, the haze dulling his hearing so he didn't hear the sound of his car door being opened until he was being pulled out by Hanji. His thoughts were on Armin, looking to the driver's seat to see his friend being pulled out of the car by Oruo.  _'Armin,'_  he thought, head rolling back as he was being laid on the sidewalk. Through the blur, he could make out Hanji's face as she shouted at Petra, who was on her phone.

"Call…they…hospital…" was all he could hear until everything went black.

* * *

Levi was on break sipping tea while looking over the next request for surgery when a panicked nurse hurried into his office.

"Dr. Ackerman! You're needed at the emergency room!" He stared at her questioningly.

"Emergency surgery for the heart?" he asked as he put down his cup and grabbed his med coat. The nurse shook her head.

"No." He glared.

"Then tell me why I'm needed-" She cut him off.

"It's your husband." His eyes widened.  _'Eren?'_  he thought. Was he…?

"What happened?!" he demanded. The nurse took a deep breath.

"Sir, Dr. Ackerman and Dr. Arlert were just in an accident." Eren and Armin. They were in Trost? He was running past the nurse.

"Tell Dr. Smith and get him to hurry down to the emergency room for Dr. Arlert. Now!"

"Hai!"

Levi was led to Eren by another nurse into the emergency room where a doctor was at a bed with an unconscious Eren on top. His face had bruises and his head was wrapped in bandages with his neck in a brace. To Levi's pleasure, Eren wore his wedding ring loyally on his finger. The doctor nodded to him.

"He has a concussion and got a whiplash from the accident. That's the worst of it and nothing is serious. We can move him to a room now that he's in stable condition. Until them, don't touch him or else he'll move and hurt himself." Levi sighed in relief, then glared.

"What happened that caused this?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'm not sure, sir. I'll have Dr. Ackerman moved to a room as soon as possible." He thanked her as she left and was surprised to find Petra, Oruo and Hanji nearby looking nervous. He froze. Petra and Oruo were back the same time as Eren and Armin? Those fucking…

He strode over to them. "What the fuck did you do?"

Petra spoke first. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. Dita found Eren and Armin so he called me. I said that we'd go get them with Oruo so we left."

Levi's fist clenched. "And you never told me why?"

Petra gulped, feeling that she was going to be killed. "Well, we wanted to surprise you, Heichou."

"And now Eren's in the hospital. A great surprise," he said sarcastically. She winced.

"You were depressed! We wanted to get him on our own and make you feel better. But the first night didn't go well. When we heard that he was coming to Trost, we saw another chance. We chased them and they got into a crash." He was seething. First they outright lied to him and now Eren was unconscious because they decided to chase him around the streets like he was prey. What part of winning back Eren's trust did they not understand? They had never done something this stupid before.

"If you weren't a part of my surgical team I'd have you all fired and tortured. But luckily you are. Your salaries will be a third of what it was for the next six months. Hanji, I'm going to have all your research not dealing with the hospital or my interrogations postponed for the next four. None of you are going to be given free will over anything. Wherever you go, whatever you eat and even whenever you want to take a shit has to have my permission first." Hanji frowned when Petra and Oruo turned sheet white.

"But I didn't know Eren was going to be there! They were at the med supply store when I happened to be there and these two made me go with them." Oruo growled.

"But you were the one who suggested we chase them!" Levi glared at them.

"Enough! I said what your punishment is and you'll either take it or go for the alternative: be a test subject to the next torture tactics. I wanted to try acid." They stayed quiet. "Now go and clean up around here. Hanji, go work on the research for the hospital." They begrudgingly split up to do what they were told.

Levi didn't want to leave Eren, but seeing him being taken to his room left him little to do. Erwin was a few beds down beside Armin, who hadn't woken up. Armin's head was wrapped up more than Eren's. His legs were bandaged and his nose was covered. Erwin barely moved as he watched Armin's peaceful face. He held the boy's hand to his cheek, face showing sorrow as he breathed slowly. Levi took the other chair and barely got a nod of acknowledgement from his friend.

"He has a bad concussion and lacerations on his legs from the car smashing the front. He didn't get much of a whiplash because he hit the steering wheel. They want to check for internal bleeding and swelling once they find him a room. I requested for him to be moved somewhere close to my office so I can check on him from time to time." Levi said nothing as he continued.

"They were here to pick up medicine. Apparently they were living at Pearl Beach and working in a clinic. The med supply store doesn't deliver that way so they came instead. I was told by the paramedics and the witness who was the man who worked at the store. They signed the meds under fake names. The vaccines were in the trunk. I'm having them sent to the clinic and had a few of our doctors to go replace them. I also had the clinic send me information about them. Eren was known as Eric Yans and Armin was Aiden Aller. They're good doctors and treat the patients who go to the clinic like family and rarely took pictures to prevent them from being sent around. It seems they were doing all they could to prevent us from finding them."

Levi couldn't attempt a smile. While what they did was pretty smart, he was pissed off that they outsmarted them.

"So now that they're here, we have them right where we want them." Erwin smiled a little.

"I feel that way, but with Armin looking the way he is, I can't say that right now." The doctor watching Eren was hurrying over to Levi with medical files.

"Dr. Ackerman, it's about your husband. Do you know anything about his behavior when he's being treated at the hospital?" Levi smirked a little. One time he had to take Eren to the hospital because he had a really bad fever. He kept trying to convince the doctors he was okay and tried to escape, but Levi had to hold him down to stay in bed. He was given restraints for being a bad boy.

"Did he do something already?" he asked. She sighed.

"Once we brought him to his room, he tried to escape in a daze and was caught crawling out of his bed." Levi chuckled a bit.

"Give him restraints."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Mikasa paced Annie's living room, impatiently waiting as Annie was calling Armin's cell phone. No answer.

"It shouldn't take hours to pick up vaccines. What's taking them so long?" she asked. Annie hummed in thought.

"They should've been back two hours after they left at most." Mikasa growled.

"That fucking midget probably found them. That's it, I'm going to the hospital." Annie quickly stopped her.

"Wait. What if it's not Levi? You'll be telling him that Eren is back and he'll send out his men all around Trost looking for him. And Armin is going to be found by that blonde shithead." She growled that part. "I say we call the others and tell them to help us find Eren."

They sent a mass text to Jean, Marco, Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertolt, Krista and Ymir that Eren and Armin were missing. All ten searched and spread through the city to find their friends.

* * *

Eren woke up the next morning, the brace gone from his neck and the smell of antiseptics wafted through the air. He could hear the doctor speaking to someone who didn't say much.

"He's recovering faster than any patient I've seen. Just yesterday he was in the brace and today his ligaments and neck muscles seem to be normal. He'll be sore, but fine." Were they talking about him? Was he in Trost Hospital? Fuck him sideways…

The oxygen from the nasal cannula kept him breathing fine. But what was around his wrists? Motherfucking restraints to the bed rails. And his ankles too? Those bastards. This was déjà vu. He tried moving, but his neck was sore as fuck. He groaned out loud when he moved his head to the side. The doctor turned and smiled.

"Dr. Ackerman! You're awake. I brought your husband here to see you." The other person was none other than Levi, who only became more handsome in the last two years.  _'Play along,'_  thought Eren, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut. If he went ballistic here, they could cart him off to a mental hospital or Levi would kill him after torturing him first. He smiled shakily.

"Hi."

"Eren." Levi approached his bed side and held his face in his warm hand. It felt really good despite the fact that he wanted to bite his fingers off. He was completely unprepared when Levi kissed him. Levi let him go for a small second, smirking at him and dipping down to his ear.

"You want to play along?" Eren tensed. Had he read his mind? But Levi was back to kissing him like he said nothing. Instead of a simple peck, Levi started making out with him, tongue slipping out to brush against Eren's lips and tongue. Eren unconsciously did the same, feeling like the love-sick, horny moron he was two years ago as he moaned out loud. That brought him back to life. He pulled away from Levi, who looked pissed at him for ending it. He smiled falsely.

"Ah, don't you want to wait until I get better?" Levi faked a smile.

"Sure." He pulled away, looking at the doctor who looked embarrassed.

"Could we have some privacy?" The doctor bolted. Eren flinched when Levi turned to him looking murderous.

"I've been looking for you, Eren. For two fucking years." Eren kept his ground.

"Things were going good until you sent Petra and Oruo to attack me in my house." Levi shook his head.

"That wasn't me. They wanted it to be a surprise." Eren snorted.

"A big shitty surprise." Levi said nothing, looking at the info of Eren at White Sand Clinic.

"Eric Yans, huh? Not really a creative name." Eren laughed bitterly.

"If it's so easy to find out, then you could've found me faster." Levi's eyes shone with amusement.

"Oh, is that what you wanted?" Eren's heart froze for a millisecond. He shook his head wildly.

"As if." His head was still reeling from the drugs, falling back to his pillow. Levi kissed his forehead.

"We'll talk later. You need your rest." Eren glared at him, falling asleep.

"You wish, asshole. I'm gonna wake up and find a way out of these restraints…" Levi forced him to close his eyes, hand over the gorgeous green he had missed.

"You'll need them for later. Can't have you fighting me." Eren's eyes widened, but he was asleep the next second. Erwin was standing in the doorway when Levi stood up.

"We have to inform their relatives and friends about them." Levi narrowed his eyes.

"If we do, then they'll try to sneak them away again. I'm not going to lose Eren to that bitchy sister of his. Not when I'm going to be with him this time." Erwin smiled knowingly.

"I know, that's why I made sure to forge some paperwork when something plans to go their way." Levi smirked as they walked out of Eren's room.

"You're a fucking genius."

"I'm also in love, but I'll take it."

* * *

Mikasa was at her wit's end. She didn't show it, but her friends could tell.

"It's Levi. It has to be. Armin or Eren would've called by now!" said Sasha, unable to eat her potato as they were cluttered in Jean and Marco's place.

"That's what I've been saying," she replied. "We need to go to the hospital. That's where we know Levi and his people are."

Jean sighed. "Even if he did have them, how can we be sure he'll tell us or hand them over?"

Mikasa's mood darkened. "We torture him."

Most of the group took a step away from her. Annie's cell phone rang, making them all jump. To her relief, it was Armin. She quickly answered.

"Armin? Where are you guys?" she asked. The only thing she could hear right away was heavy breathing.

" _This isn't Armin. It's Erwin."_  Her eyes widened.

"Why do you have Armin's phone?" she asked slowly. Everyone could only stare at her.

"Armin and Eren were in an accident. They're in stable condition," said Erwin, holding Armin's hand as the younger one slept. He got up and headed to Eren's room where Levi was holding his husband's hand. He glared at him.

"What?" Annie heard his voice.

"Levi's there too?" Hearing Levi's name, Mikasa was at her side, both angry and worried.

"Don't take Eren away from me." Erwin smiled gently.

"Eren will be here in the hospital. Armin will be here also and you are free to visit tomorrow morning." Annie glared into her phone.

"You bet we are." Levi ignored them and turned back to Eren. Mikasa had said the very words he had wanted to say to her when Eren and disappeared. Erwin went back to Armin's room, leaving Levi alone. He laid his forehead against Eren's hand.

"I won't let them take you away from me. Not again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of this chapter! Levi and Eren reunited! What's in store from them now? Next chapter preview:
> 
> "Since Eren and Armin are healing quickly and, we can decide who goes home with who to provide stable care until both make a full recovery."
> 
> "I'm feeling better now, but I overheard what Erwin said about who we're being released to."
> 
> "Ah! Nh…hah. Levi, st-"


	5. Intimate with a Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey there, sorry for the wait! Please read and comment below! And 2000 hits?! WHOOOOOOOO!!!!

Eren and Armin's friends burst into the hospital the next day with flowers and get well cards. Carla and Grisha came with them. Armin had woken up in the morning and screamed when he found Erwin smiling at him. Eren had woken up thanks to Armin's scream, fighting his restraints to try and help his friend. It was a clusterfuck when their friends reached their floor, heard Armin's screaming and rushed to his room. They also saw Eren struggling and nearly everyone assumed they were being tortured. The entire floor was filled with accusations and Annie yelling at Erwin while Mikasa, Connie, Sasha and Jean were trying to untie the restraints off Eren. Reiner and Bertolt both had to hold Annie back from using any of her moves to knock Erwin down. Nurses flooded the room to stop them and the others with flower petals and cards flying everywhere in the process. Only Grisha and Carla stood awkwardly in the room away from the chaos. Levi appeared in an instant.

"Shut the fuck up!" shouted Levi, striding into Eren's room. Everyone froze, except Eren who kept trying to get out of his restraints while everyone was distracted. Levi laid a hand on his wrist, glaring at him with pissed off eyes."Stop."

Eren pouted and looked away. Mikasa crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why does Eren have restraints on?!" she demanded. Levi glanced at her blankly.

"Because he was being bad." She wasn't convinced.

"Or maybe you're a pervert taking advantage of Eren's accident-" Erwin strode in with Armin in a wheelchair, using it to get between them.

"Armin's here!" he nearly sang. Armin was quickly swamped by his friends, effectively separating him from Erwin.

"Are you okay?" asked Annie, looking him over. Armin grinned.

"For a car accident, I'm fine!" he answered. They all sighed in relief. Eren tried tugging at his restraints again, causing Grisha to tap his wrist.

"Eren Yeager, you stop that this instant. As a doctor, you know restraints are used to prevent the patient from hurting themselves." Eren growled.

"But I don't need them!"

"That's what they all say," Grisha replied knowingly. Eren frowned and secretly tried to tug at them as Erwin spoke.

"Since Eren and Armin are healing quickly and, we can decide who goes home with who to provide stable care until both make a full recovery." Mikasa stepped forward.

"With us." Levi snorted.

"Great idea, let's hand them to the people disturbing the peace and making this godforsaken mess," he said sarcastically, looking at the flower petals in disgust. Mikasa glared at him.

"Shut up, you sadistic midget. You just want Eren all to yourself." Levi shrugged.

"You're not wrong." Grisha ignored them.

"I think it would be best for them both to stay with me and my wife. Eren is our son and Armin has known us since he was a child. As a retired doctor, I'd be very capable of ensuring their recovery."

"Fine by me!" said Eren from his place on the bed. Armin was quick to second it. Erwin smiled at Grisha.

"How about we discuss this in my office? I'll take Armin back to his room right now." Eren quickly tried to sit up.

"Wait! Can't he stay here for a little bit?" he asked, wanting to talk to Armin. Levi grabbed his hand, holding it like a loving husband would.

"You both need to rest. The faster you do, the faster you can go home." Eren strained to smile.

"You're right." He tried his infamous puppy eyes. "But when can I take these restraints off?"

' _Flirt to make everything seem normal to Mom and Dad,'_  he thought to himself, looking over at his smiling parents. He didn't want to get them involved with Recon. Levi quickly got the gist of what he was thinking. And damn was he going to take advantage of it. He leaned in and gave Eren a gentle kiss.

"When you're a good boy." His face contorted in anger, but he fought his will and nodded. Mikasa didn't budge from her spot.

"I want to stay here with Eren." Her answer from Levi was a steel glare.

"No. You were trying to take off his restraints. I can't leave you alone with him." She clenched her fist.

"But-" Carla looked sternly at her.

"Mikasa. That's enough. Besides," she smiled, "we need to talk about Eren's release! Come along."

She and Grisha followed Erwin and Armin out of the room. Levi turned to the others.

"Not all of you have a say in deciding who they stay with. Everyone else can visit the patients, but if I catch any of you idiots trying to free this guy," he kicked Eren's bed lightly, "I'm banning you all from visiting. He doesn't need encouragement."

They all saluted. "Yes sir!"

Erwin, Mikasa, Annie, Carla, Grisha and Levi left with Armin. Connie was making sure they dropped off Armin and grinned when he saw them take the elevator.

"Alright, they're gone! Let's get you outta this bed!" Krista gasped.

"But the doctor said-" Ymir put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it! If they catch us, we'll just say they goaded us into it." Eren raised a brow.

"So you don't want to help me?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Too risky since they can kick us out." Connie waved her away.

"We all know Ymir's a bitch. If you don't want to help, then go visit Armin." She was gone in an instant, dragging Krista with her. Eren sighed. He hadn't seen Armin since they got here, not including the minute he was in the room. Levi was his only visitor, holding his hand while he finished paperwork or read reports. Even at night when he woke up from time to time, Levi was sleeping as close as he could to Eren, their hands still together. A part of him found it endearing, but he wanted his freedom. He knew Levi wasn't willing to give him that. A tug at his wrist brought him back to see Reiner examining the restraint.

"These really aren't hard to take off. It's just like a belt." Jean made a face.

"Bondage shit?" Eren groaned. He could only imagine the smirk on Levi's face seeing him like this. He was into that kind of shit.

"I don't give a fuck anymore. Lemme out." Bertolt went to scope out the outside for them, keeping watch just in case a nurse decided to come in. Sasha, Reiner, Jean and Connie each untied the restraints, silently cheering when Eren sat up and rubbed his wrists.

"Thanks guys!" He swung his legs over the bed, wincing as he stood up and stretched. His neck was still sore, but he could manage. He took off the nasal cannula and grabbed the stand of his IV. He turned off his cardiac monitor and removed the wires and sensors attaching him to it, throwing them on the bed. Sasha buttoned up his shirt as he checked to see if his pants were on right.

"Now how do we sneak to Armin's?" he asked. They all surrounded him at once. He facepalmed.

"Seriously? We're not gonna make it…" he grumbled. Jean elbowed him lightly.

"Sorry for wanting to help, jackass." Eren mumbled 'horseface' under his breath as they moved out.

They were out of the room in a second, taking quick and careful steps to Armin's room before shutting the door. Ymir and Krista each sat on either side of Armin's bed, smiling as Eren moved to sit next to Krista.

"Armin, are you okay? Why did you scream earlier?" he asked worriedly. Armin began to laugh.

"I was just surprised to see Erwin standing there. I'm sorry for scaring you." Eren scoffed.

"You didn't just scare me, you almost gave me a fucking heart attack! What did I say about doing that?" he scolded. Armin gave him a sheepish smile.

"To not to. Wait," he gave Eren a shocked look. "Did you get out of your restraints?!"

"We did it!" sang Sasha. "Let's go to the cafeteria and eat…"

At the thought of food, Sasha had a faraway look on her face, practically drooling. The others groaned. Of course Sasha would think about food at a time like this. Oh sure, your friends leave Trost for two years to get away from their Recon lovers and end up in the hospital they work at. Roasted potatoes, please! God, why we they friends with her? But Sasha smiled at them.

"Come on! You want out of the room, right? It's like a prison up here." Well, she wasn't wrong. But too much risk for little reward.

"Why don't you guys go? If we move anymore, they're gonna get really mad at us," said Armin. Jean shook his head.

"You guys sure?" Eren nodded.

"Just go, horseface. We'll be fine." They slowly filed out, promising to come back with food once Sasha decided what to eat. Eren was left alone with Armin, glaring at his friend.

"How come I get restraints and you don't?" Armin raised a brow.

"Because I don't fight nurses and try to escape. Time to focus on recovering, Eren." Eren crossed his arms over his chest.

"Kinda hard with my ex-husband breathing down my neck." Armin smiled sympathetically.

"I know, but there's nothing else we can do right now. We have to wait." Eren sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"I'm practically healed. It's just you. You have the worst injuries out of the two of us." He poked a finger and his legs and the bandages wrapped around his head. Armin laughed, taking a sip of the water provided for him. But as he drank, his eyes suddenly lost its joy.

"I'm feeling better now, but I overheard what Erwin said about who we're being released to." Eren froze.

"Already? Negotiations are being made right now. Did he say when you were being sent back here?" Armin shook his head.

"No. I woke up a few times during the night for a few minutes. Erwin was in here with Levi. I don't think we're going with your parents." Eren shook his head in disbelief.

"No, we should. They're my parents and we've always been released to them before. Remember my fever? I was living with Levi then, but I recovered the rest at my parents' place. And you were told to go with my dad when you sprained your ankle years ago. Things don't change like that especially since we never signed up anyone else to take us." The worried look on Armin's face wasn't helping his nerves. Was Levi planning something? When was he never? He didn't want to go back with Levi. Once he did, he would never let him leave. The thought both scared and excited him. And it really pissed him off all at the same time. He hated people telling him what to do. What if he didn't want to go with him? He couldn't force him to. Yeah, he grinned to himself. He was a patient and he still had that authority of choosing his treatment center and where he would stay. Armin tugged on his sleeve.

"But this is Erwin. He wouldn't talk about it if it wasn't possible." Eren glared at him.

"Then where are they moving us? Wings of Healing?" The very place he had caught Levi torturing his patient. He didn't want to go there even if it was for recuperating. Armin shook his head, but was cut off when Levi kicked the door open, a glare on his face.

"You left your fucking bed, you brat," he snarled at Eren. Eren pouted childishly.

"I don't like being confined against my will." Levi strode over and grabbed him by the collar.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself. Stop arguing and get the fuck up." When Eren looked defiant, he smirked.

"Or I can carry you back to your room." Eren was on his feet. Armin laughed, Eren glaring at him. The blonde waved at him.

"Go feel better, Eren!" Levi led him away, the brunette flipping off Armin as he left.

* * *

"I don't want to be restrained. I really don't." Eren wasn't one to be submissive unless he was comfortable. He was panicking as his movements were being restricted. But Levi tightened the restraints around his ankles. He was surprisingly gentle as he fussed to make sure they were on correctly. His touch made Eren feel calmer, but he refused to give Levi the satisfaction of letting him know. Levi sighed.

"If you keep moving around trying to escape, you'll hit your head or something. If your patient could potentially hurt themselves, wouldn't you want them to be restrained?" Eren angrily turned away, ignoring him as he tied down his wrists. It took several deep breaths to calm himself, but he managed.

"Where's my family?" he asked. Levi took a seat next to him.

"Still talking to Erwin." Eren watched Levi's face closely.

"Where am I being moved? Wings of Healing?" Levi's eyes sharpened. He turned to him so quickly Eren swore he didn't see any movement.

"Eren, you know I would never do that to you." Eren turned away, closing his eyes when Levi forced him to look up.

"I didn't know you would do that in the first place." Levi kissed his forehead, trying to dumb down his frustration.

"I didn't marry you to torture you. You're my husband, not my enemy." At this, Eren finally looked at him angrily.

"You're not my husband. I signed the papers." The raven grits his teeth.

"And you think I did?" Levi replied. Eren sighed. This was going to be as difficult as he imagined it would be.

"So you got the papers. Where are they?" he asked, mildly curious. Levi's eyes darkened.

"Our fireplace took them right when you sent it to me. You're still Eren Ackerman, my husband." Eren wildly shook his head. Here Levi was, getting his way again.

"No, I'm not. Just because you didn't sign the papers doesn't mean I still want to be married to you." Levi scoffed.

"Really? If you didn't want to be my husband, then why do you still have your wedding ring on?" He grabbed Eren's left hand, thumb grazing the ring. Eren froze.

"Uh-I…I just-" Levi smirked.

"Maybe you don't want the divorce after all. But since I bought the ring, technically it's mine. I'll take it from you since  _you_  don't want to be mine anymore." He grabbed hold of the ring, slowly sliding it along his finger. Eren felt his chest constrict. He loved the ring even if they weren't together. It was all happy memories from when they were dating and until he found out who Levi was. He didn't want him to take that away.

"No!" he cried, sounding scared. Surprised, Levi pulled his hand back. "It's mine. I don't care. I don't know if you love me or not, but I'm not letting you take it away from me. Please, Levi." His eyes were full of sadness. Levi let go, the barest hint of a smile on his face.

"I love you. Never doubt that." For a moment, Eren blushed. Dope in love. Levi kissed him, tongue caressing his lips. Eren gasped when Levi suddenly grabbed his cock and working his hand up and down through the cloth of his pants. He started kicking and flailing around on instinct, but his legs and arms could do nothing thanks to the restraints. Heat pooled to his groan, breath quickening with each stroke of Levi's hand. Levi pulled away, smirking.

"Perfect," he said, his voice a sensual purr. Eren gulped, but Levi did nothing more. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to Eren's hips, covering his half-erect cock. He got up and headed to the door.

"Stay up tonight," was all he said before he left. Eren felt frustrated, wanting release. Sure, he masturbated plenty of times when he was at Pearl Beach, but with Levi touching him after so long like he had never left made him ache for him to finish what he started. He couldn't reach down and relieve himself thanks to the restraints. He tried pressing his thighs together, but couldn't. He needed that release…

' _Eren! Stop thinking about the sex! Think of Jean, think of Jean…'_ he thought to himself, hitting his head on his pillow, hoping his boner would deflate. Maybe if he forced himself to sleep while thinking of that horseface would get rid of the urge. It was working.

* * *

Later that day, the others were banned for the whole day from visiting because of freeing Eren. Levi extended that punishment to Mikasa just to spite her. Besides, Eren needed his rest. Nurses came and went to check on him, looking at vitals and letting him out of his restraints so he could use the bathroom and shower. Eventually they dropped off his dinner for him to eat. Some soup that was supposed to be good for him, but hospital food tended to taste like shit. Levi came in to feed him his dinner, refusing to take off his restraints because he might run away. It was his excuse to feed him. Eren begrudgingly at each spoonful Levi fed him, making a face as the bland soup slid down his throat.

"Did you fuck anybody in the last two years?" asked Levi casually out of nowhere. Eren spat out his food all over the blanket and coughed uncontrollably. Levi wrinkled his nose as he put the bowl on a table.

"Disgusting." He grabbed a clean part of the blanket and whipped it off the bed, letting it fall on the floor. He waited patiently for Eren to finish coughing, deep in his thoughts. If Eren did sleep with anyone during his time away from him, he was going to kill whoever did. He only got better at torturing with Eren gone. He spent as much time away from home as he could unless he was going to sleep the minute he walked through the door. It was too painful to come home and realizing that Eren wouldn't be there. Even though torturing was the reason why Eren left him, it kept his mind off of him. But now he was here again. And he needed to know if there was someone else so he could get rid of them. He wouldn't kill them right away, but provide them with a choice. Wrong choice and they'd end up on the metal table in one of the many facilities Recon used. Eren finished his coughing fit, tears stinging his eyes.

"Yes! Fine. I fucked tons of guys. We get loads of tourists being a beach area so lots of one-night stands." He sounded ridiculous, but that's what he gets for asking a ridiculous question. His ears were flaming red, hoping Levi didn't notice. It was the first thing he checked.

"You're a liar, shitty brat. You wanted to make me jealous?" Eren blushed.

"W-what? No!" Levi smirked and leaned to Eren's ear.

"Your ears are still red." Eren fussed, unable to cause damage.

"Of course they are! Because you asked me if I fucked people!" Levi's eyes hadn't lost a gleam of sharpness.

"Then you didn't?" Eren tensed and turned his head the other way to get Levi away from his ear.

"No…" He nearly yelped when Levi licked the nape of his neck and blew air onto it. Goosebumps danced down his skin as he turned back to Levi to glare at him.

"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded. Levi smirked.

"Proving a point." At Eren's confused stare, he continued. "That you still feel something for me. You don't fuck other guys and you never took off your ring. Obviously you still do."

Eren glared at him. This man was so fucking arrogant. But Levi kept going.

"And I still have an effect on you. Your nape is still your sensitive spot when I touch it. No one else made you feel that way, you always ran in disgust. But when I do it," his fingers slowly rubbed his nape, causing Eren to shiver in pleasure. "You look like you want me."

Shit, he was getting erect again.  _'Think of Jean, think of Jean,'_  he thought, trying to kill his boner. But Levi fisted his cock, causing Eren to cry out before he clamped his mouth shut so he wouldn't attract attention. Levi slipped his hand into Eren's pants, rubbing Eren's balls before going to his cock and jerking him off. Eren grew hard, heat pulsing from his cock as he tried to fight off his hand.

"S-stop it, you…uh!" he moaned. Levi didn't stop, pumping his hand and thumbing the slit of Eren's length. The cardiac monitor began to beep erratically. It wouldn't be long before a nurse would come in to see what was wrong.

"Levi! You in here?" called Hanji from outside. Eren gasped, trying to push Levi off until he remembered he was restrained. Levi kept his hand in Eren's pants, but wasn't jerking him off like he had earlier. Hanji flounced in, not batting an eye when she saw what was going on. Levi stared at her.

"What do you want, four eyes?" he asked, being casual. She grinned.

"Nothing!" she sang. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Then bring a clean blanket and get rid of this one," he said, gesturing to the blanket on the floor. She shrugged and grabbed the blanket, rushing out with a wink. Levi removed his hand from Eren's pants, the brunette gasping for air, fully erect. The line displayed on the monitor was spiked up, gradually returning to normal.

"Want to finish your dinner?" he asked, reaching for the soup. At Eren's disbelieving stare, he smirked.

"Unless there's something else you want to put in your mouth," he said suggestively. Eren went red.

"J-just feed me the rest of the soup." He was so fucking done with this hospital.

Levi feed him the rest of his dinner when Hanji came back in with two clean blankets, setting one at the foot of Eren's bed while spreading the other over Eren. She couldn't stop the grin on her face when she saw Eren's cock still erect. But she didn't let him know that. Luckily, Levi left when Hanji did, letting Eren rest.

As they disappeared, he let out a breath. What the hell was that? Jesus, he was here for maybe two, three days and already Levi was trying to do him. His cock was hard now and he was sure Levi knew. He shifted on the bed and turned to sleep, hoping his hard-on wouldn't prevent him from being uncomfortable as he slept. Of course, he dreamed of Levi finishing what he started, cursing the man for leaving him hanging.

* * *

The sound of his door shutting stirred him awake a few hours later. The turn of the lock was next, clicking to signify it was secure. The blinds of his windows slid across, turning to close and cover the entire window to keep people from looking in. Who was it…? He was still tired from his nap, looking up to the window to see it was night with the moonlight streaming in.

"Mmh," he murmured, turning to see who it was. His cardiac monitor was switched off and hands unbuttoned his shirt, removing the sensors. In a millisecond, his pants and underwear were yanked down to his ankles, exposing the hard-on he still had from earlier. Fingertips brushed against his nipples, sending electricity across his body as they lingered there, rubbing the sensitive skin and buds. He jolted, the restraints refusing to release him. The sleep faded so he could see Levi, who let him go to remove his clothes. He went red when he saw Levi's sculpted chest and abs, his cock hard as Levi climbed on top of him. Eren struggled to move, cursing the restraints while Levi waited patiently for him to tire out of frustration.

Eren was too scared to want this. Not when he worked so hard to get away from him. Two years were all for nothing. He promised himself he wouldn't fall for Levi, but it was done. Levi was playing with his body like it was their wedding night. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Levi latched his mouth around his nipple, fingers pinching the other. He gasped out, unable to get out of Levi's hold while the other licked and sucked like it was candy.

"N-nurse!" he yelled, squirming around. "H-he-help!"

Levi let go of his nipple, saliva attaching to his lips. "I made sure that your room had soundproofing. And even if it didn't, Petra, Oruo, Eld and Gunther are the ones working the floor."

He was trapped. Levi went back to sucking his nipple, grinding his knee against Eren's hard-on. It was getting harder to resist him. The sensation was too much. He wanted him, but there was no way in fuck he was going to give in just from this. He lifted his legs to try and nudge him off. Levi grabbed his hard cock, pumping his hand as punishment for trying to stop him.

"Ah! Nh…hah. Levi, st-" Levi immediately covered his mouth with his, tongue snaking in to lick every part of Eren's mouth. Eren moaned, giving into the kiss and melding his tongue to his, the taste of Levi filling his mouth. God, he fucking missed this.  _'No! This is what he wants. Fight him off!'_ he thought. Too bad he was tied down. He thrashed around, hoping Levi would just back off along with the searing heat on his skin wherever Levi touched. Even though Levi stopped kissing him and sat back, his hand was still relentlessly jerking him off. Tears he was holding back pooled in his eyes, desperately trying to fight the part of him wanting to tear off his clothes and let Levi take him. Levi smirked.

"Still trying to fight me even though your body wants otherwise? Fine." He dipped down to Eren's cock, giving it a long, hard lick from the base to the head. Eren threw his head back, a loud moan escaping his mouth. Levi took it as acceptance and greedily took the whole head into his mouth, sucking while pumping his hand.

"Ah! No! S-stop!" But he didn't. His tongue swirled around the head, teeth gently pulling the foreskin as his hand moved up his length and down to cup his balls, massaging and playing with them. Eren miraculously avoided cumming right there, sinking into the bed as his husband continued his ministrations. His body wasn't fighting back anymore. Even when Levi began to push a saliva-coated finger into his tight hole. He was as tight as their first time, mewling like a virgin as Levi fingered and stretched him the way he loved it, adding more each time he felt Eren could take it. His fingers scissored inside him, making Eren's eyes roll back at being penetrated deeply and sucked off and fondled at the same time. His fingers neared Eren's prostate, the brunette screaming in ecstasy as he drew closer to the spot that made Eren addicted.

"Nh…uh. L-Levi…" The raven purred hearing Eren call his name like that. Eren wasn't focused on escaping anymore. Every time Levi thrust his fingers into him, his head went down to suck hard. He was a mess.

"Eren…" groaned Levi huskily. Eren was moaning with each thrust, each suck, each massage. His body was tense, ready to cum any second.

"L-Levi! I-I'm…cum…" He couldn't speak coherently anymore. But Levi understood, thrusting faster and bobbing his head erratically. He moaned around his cock, throat tightening with each suck. He moved his hand roughly against Eren's balls, fondling them as they tightened to release. Eren came screaming, cum bursting and going down Levi's throat. He took it in stride, swallowing his cum and sucking, milking him until Eren was spent. Eren panted, chest heaving up and down while Levi licked his cock clean and moaned as the taste he missed coated his tongue. He started resisting feebly, thinking that he could move his arms.

"N-no more. S-stop it." Levi smirked.

"Stop? You had release, but I didn't. That's not fair, isn't it?" Eren rolled his eyes, his breathing returning to normal.

"Th-then go m-masturbate somewhere else." Levi kissed him lightly, chuckling.

"After I made you feel good, this is how you repay me? I want my release." He wedged himself between Eren's thighs, his cock close to Eren's prepared hole. Now if only he stopped squirming.

"No! Don't!" Levi sighed impatiently. He wanted to take him, knowing that he could make Eren a begging mess, but he'd humor him.

"We've already done so much this far." Eren didn't want him to because he would surrender himself to him. Levi would have him begging for more and Eren didn't want to feel humiliated. He stuttered to find an excuse.

"Uh-well…ah!" A light bulb appeared in his mind. "The nurses will know when they come to make me shower!"

"I have a condom. I just didn't put it around you so I could feel you cum down my throat." Oh God, did he have to say that? He felt himself grow hard again…no! He shook his head.

"B-but doctor-patient relationships can't be personal!" he pointed out. Levi rolled his eyes.

"That works-" Eren's eyes brightened, "if you were my patient. You're my husband."

His eyes went dark with realization. Levi wasn't  _his_  doctor. Oh! His eyes went bright again. "B-but you always fuck me until I can't move! A-a-and if I can't move, I won't recover! You can get in trouble from prolonging a patient's stay! A-and patients have to refrain from sex to keep the room sterile!"

He wasn't wrong there. Levi sighed.

"Fine." Eren did a double take.

"Really?" he blurted out. He cursed himself when Levi chuckled and rubbed his thumb on Eren's lower lip.

"If I can't fuck you, then I'll settle for the other hole." He paled, ignoring the excited jolt down his spine. The feeling of Levi's cock rubbing his entrance was already too much. But to have it down his throat…

"Uh, how about I give you a handjob instead?" He didn't want to be sucking knowing that he'd moan like a slut. Levi looked pleased to hear it. He reached to the restraints around Eren's hands, not breaking eye contact with him.

"Keep your promise, Eren." He undid the restraints and freed Eren's hands. The brunette quickly grabbed his cock, both groaning at the contact. His hands moved up and down his shaft, feeling how stiff it was. Levi sat back, smirking as he saw Eren's want in his eyes as he felt himself ready to cum. Eren's hands were hot against his skin, his mouth slowly gaping open. Levi began to untie the other restraints around his ankles. He knew what he wanted, easily able to suggest him to do more than he said he was. He was close to cumming, it wouldn't be long.

"Oi, you don't want the nurses to know what we did, do you? Suck me off." Eren forgot all about the condom Levi had. Too engrossed in lust, Eren didn't blink and went on all fours, taking all of Levi's cock into his mouth. He moaned when the precum hit his tongue, bobbing his head fast. Levi nearly keeled over in pleasure, grabbing Eren's head and forcing him to take more of him inside. Eren obliged obediently, pumping his hands until Levi came, his semen bursting out of his cock and into his needy mouth. Eren gasped, swallowing all he could before he realized what he had done. He died a little inside, letting go of Levi and sitting back in bed. He was too stunned and ashamed to move. Levi nonchalantly put him back in restraints, dressing them both while Eren was mentally stabbing either himself or him. He wiped them both off and binned the wipes, making it look as though nothing was done in the room. He looked back at Eren, seeing the doubt in his eyes. He smiled a little and kissed him gently.

"I love you, Eren," he said softly. Without waiting for an answer, he got up and left.

Eren turned in bed, feeling ashamed with himself.  _'I need to get out of here before I get swept away.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End chapter! Thanks for reading and I thank everyone keeping up with this story! Next chapter preview:
> 
> "Why the fuck am I living with Levi?!"
> 
> "You're well enough to have sex. We have to make up for lost time."
> 
> "When I'm fully recovered, when Armin is too, I'm leaving you."


	6. Regretting a Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm so sorry about the last chapter! Hope I can make you all feel better soon…

It wasn't until Levi reached Erwin's office when he realized what he had done. And he felt disgusted in himself. Throughout the entire time he and Eren were having sex, he vaguely heard Eren ask him to stop. The body and mind were two very different things. The body reacts despite what the owner wants. Stimulation was stimulation, not based on feelings but on body chemistry. He had only paid attention to what he wanted and what Eren's body liked, not himself. He had taken advantage of it. It was easy knowing that the two of them hadn't seen each other in years and his hormones were out of control seeing him back and kissing him again. He was also angry with him for leaving without letting him explain, using sex as pleasure and punishment. Still, it wasn't an excuse _. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck!'_  he thought, wanting to ram his head into the wall. He wanted to run back to Eren and apologize, knowing that the trust he desperately wanted to win back was overshadowed by his lust for the old times. But Eren wouldn't listen to him. Rightfully so now that he decided to be an idiot and give him a blowjob and tricked Eren into giving him one. He didn't deserve him.

But he wanted him. He needed him. Eren was everything he wanted, passionate, stubborn and a heart of gold. His obsession took over the love he had for him and drove him further away than he already was. He had left him for a reason and now he gave him another. _'Fuck, Levi, you're so fucking stupid! You're a piece of shit. Why did you think that Eren wanted to have sex if he ran to get away from you in the first place?!'_

He had to fix this. He hoped Eren would be willing. Because he wasn't willing only moments ago. But could he do it now? Would Eren let him so soon? Probably not. He sighed and opened Erwin's office door. He was there going over surgery requests that needed his approval. He looked up and smiled a bit, gesturing for Levi to take the seat across the desk.

"Ah, Levi. There you are. I wanted to tell you about Eren's release. I'm going to send him to-"

"Don't release him to me," Levi cut in quietly. Erwin blinked.

"I thought that was what you wanted." Levi shook his head. His eyes were downcast, which he rarely did when talking to him.

"It's not what he wants. I don't think he wants to be near me." Erwin's eyes sharpened.

"What the hell did you do?" he asked, his voice low with anger. He only used it against people he interrogated. He didn't flinch.

"I took advantage of him." The very words sent Erwin into confusion.

"You-what? Why?!" he demanded, banging his hand on the desk.

"I...made a mistake," was all he said. All he could say. Erwin clenched his fists.

"That's not a suitable answer. What the hell were you thinking?" Levi palmed his forehead.

"I got ahead of myself. I thought it could be like old times before he left me. I missed him and I thought only about the time before he found out about who we are." Erwin sighed, massaging his temples.

"We aren't at those times anymore. Neither of them trusts us anymore. And you go and..." he trailed off, sighing angrily and massaging the bridge of his nose. "Levi, you already fucked up not telling him in the first place. I did the same to Armin. Firing you is detrimental to the hospital, so I won't. But Heichou, you're acting like the people we torture and eradicate." Levi's eyes widened. "It's true. How many people begged  _them_  to stop hurting their loved ones? How long until it was too late? It's going to be too late for you to fix it. Unfortunately, I have already told his parents that he's going home with you. I didn't realize you were going to be an idiot for using that to your advantage. After his recovery, I can bet a decade's worth of my salary that he'll disappear. But if you can stop that, you'd be doing us both an enormous favor." He folded his hands together, his eyes full of sadness.

"My happiness depends on Eren too. Armin will take Eren's side no matter what. And if you take that away from me," his eyes glowed murderously, "trust that I will think of killing you. Get out."

As Levi left, he felt worse than before he walked in. Deservedly so. Why had he done it? Why did he throw away any ounce of trust Eren had for him? He could feel himself splitting apart, dying rapidly as his legs carried him back to Eren's door. He slowly turned the handle, unsure if he hoped he was still awake. He wanted to apologize, but what could he say to make Eren feel that he loved him?

Eren was fast asleep, tears still wet on his face with the restraints tight around him. His guilt increased tenfold. He used those to his advantage too. He untied them slowly, careful to not wake his lover and setting them aside. He took a seat, unsure if holding his hand was appropriate. But after a few minutes of silence between them, the only sound being the beeping of his cardiac monitor, Levi slowly took his hand. Eren didn't move.

Levi pressed his forehead to Eren's hand, unable to hold back the tears as he sobbed quietly. All the darkness he had faced in his past, the shit he sees now, nothing compared to how he felt for Eren. This was someone he chose to be in his life, someone who loved him the way he longed for. And what did he do? Treat him the same way he had seen others be treated. He loved Eren, but his obsession, his anger and his lust clouded his judgment and love.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, repeating it over and over not caring that it fell on deaf ears. He stayed there a while longer, unable to gather up the will to leave him. But Eren needed space now. He slowly stood up, giving Eren's hand a squeeze before leaving and shutting the door.

Eren shifted to life, eyes blurry with leftover tears. He was surprised that Levi removed his restraints. Out of guilt, probably. But his apology? Was that out of guilt or did he love him? Eren still had lingering feelings for him, but the sudden incident left him rattled. He didn't know if he was safe. But if he was going to end their relationship and get the hell outta Trost, he was going to sever the ties. A part of him yearned for what used to be, the part that enjoyed Levi's touch, but that night brought him back to reality. By that night, he meant the day he saw Levi in blood. But tonight, he didn't think that Levi would do something against his will. He didn't look like the Levi he knew. Underneath the seduction, he saw the anger and frustration. He was angry for him leaving without notice. Fine, this time he'll leave and tell him beforehand.

* * *

The next morning, he had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning when Levi walked in with his breakfast and placed it on the table. He was looking out the window enjoying the view when he came in.

"Eren, you shouldn't be out of bed. Come here." Eren stayed put, wary. He swallowed.

"Levi, last night-" Levi cut him off.

"Last night was a mistake." Eren blinked, caught off guard.

"You admit that?" he asked. Levi nodded slowly. Eren got a good look at him. There were dark circles under his eyes, the whites tinged red. His hair was a bit disheveled and his cravat was bunched up like it was stuffed in last minute. His med coat was wrinkled, unusual since Levi had always ironed his coats before work. Maybe there was an emergency earlier. But unbeknownst to Eren, Levi hadn't slept all night. He was thinking about what to say to him. He hadn't known he was nearly late for work until Erwin called him and gave him grief that Armin wasn't talking to him. Levi sighed.

"I took advantage of you, Eren. I...was thinking about how mad I was at you for leaving. It's not an excuse, I know," he added when Eren opened his mouth. "But I never meant to hurt you."

"It doesn't matter if you never meant to hurt me. You did," replied Eren coldly. He got close to eat his breakfast, sitting on the bed. He waved at him with a fork. "Move back a few feet. You make me feel uncomfortable."

Levi did as he asked, hoping whatever he did would instill a little trust.

"So why are you here?" he asked, suppressing a gag when he tasted the overcooked, bland eggs.

Levi stayed perfectly still. "To apologize."

Okay, these eggs tasted like shit. He pushed it aside. "That's not it, is it?"

Levi took a breath. "No. I also wanted your forgiveness." Eren looked down at his lap, replying before he had a chance to think.

"I forgive you." For some reason, the words felt right. Maybe seeing Levi guilty did it or his feelings made him say dumb crap. Levi looked hopeful. Eren shook his head.

"Don't ask why I said that." He couldn't explain it himself. "But that doesn't mean I'm letting you off. I'm gonna demand so much shit from you until I'm officially healed."

 _'Then I'm gone,'_  he thought.

The relief on Levi's face couldn't be explained in words. "That's fine. It's my mistake I have to correct."

Eren nodded. "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes longer. Levi stayed back as he promised, taking a seat while Eren kept eating. He tried taking another bite of eggs, the disgusting taste overpowering his tongue. He spat it out.

"I don't like this. I'm not eating it." He put the plate down and sat in bed. Levi sighed.

"You need to eat. You want to get better, don't you?" He shook his head defiantly.

"This food will take ten years off my life." Levi couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Don't be such a brat. It's good for you. Eat it," he demanded. Eren made a face, speaking before he thought.

"Make me…fuck," he added when he realized what he said. Levi had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He grabbed the spoon on the tray and tried to feed Eren some of the eggs, making the brunette move his head this way and that to avoid it.

"I don't want it! Stop it, asshole!" he yelled when Levi sat on the bed to feed him. Eren tried grabbing the spoon, but Levi moved quickly, causing him to fall behind Levi before Levi stuffed the spoonful in his mouth. The eggs went down before he could gag on them. He pouted and turned away. The raven set the spoon down, looking sorrowful as he turned back to Eren. He slowly and carefully touched Eren's face like he was made of glass. He still felt guilty as his fingers gently traced his cheek.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I promise I'll never do it again." When Levi made his promises, he always followed through. That made Eren feel a little reassured, but still…

"Can I hug you?" Levi asked softly, something he rarely ever did. Eren blinked. He hadn't heard Levi's gentle voice like that unless he was worried, like the time when Eren was beating himself up when a patient died. Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around Levi, the older man leaning into him and practically lying on top to feel him against his body. Levi breathed deeply as he buried his face into Eren's neck. He promised himself he would never put that tearful look on Eren's face again.

Erwin walked in without knocking, surprised to see Eren and Levi in what looked like an intimate embrace. They froze, looking over at the blonde. He coughed into his hand.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your parents and friends are here to discuss your release. Levi, if you could wheel him over to my office." He looked a little pleased at this turn of events and walked out to get Armin.

Eren and Levi let go of one another and sat up, the later taking a moment to caress the brunette's cheek before getting off the bed to get the wheelchair.

* * *

"Ahem, so our candidates to take you home were Grisha, Annie, Levi and I," said Erwin. Annie made a face, lounging on Erwin's couch.

"I don't see why you were included at all. It's not like you and Armin dated that long." Armin patted her hand to quiet her. Erwin raised a brow, but dutifully ignored her.

"Unfortunately as good as Mr. Yeager is, we can't release your son to you do to the distance between your home and the hospital. Since Eren has appointments here and your home is over thirty minutes away not including traffic, it would be best to have him stay with Levi since he lives ten minutes away. As his husband, Levi will provide the funds necessary for any treatment Eren may need over the course of his recovery." Eren blinked. So he was living with Levi? What kind of bullshit loophole did Erwin find to pull that off?

"I don't need his money. I can pay for my treatments. Besides, my dad has taken care of me before even when we were living together. I haven't heard of a distance policy before." Erwin nodded understandingly.

"Before when you were released to Mr. Yeager, Levi hadn't offered to take you in. Now that he has and his home has proven to be well-suited for a recovering patient, I decided that it would be best to release you to him." Levi was sitting next to Eren as Erwin spoke.

"I have to correct my mistake," he said quietly. Eren ignored him. Erwin turned to Mikasa, who didn't look the slightest bit pleased.

"Ms. Ackerman, I suggest you get packing so you and Eren will arrive at Levi's together." She looked just as shocked as Eren.

"Why the fuck am I living with Levi?!" Carla scolded her for her language, but Erwin went on.

"Levi requested it so you could keep watch over Eren so he's more comfortable. Is that a problem?" Eren and Mikasa looked at each other. Both expected Levi to keep Eren to himself, but what prompted him to bring Mikasa, someone he hated? Erwin clapped his hands together, trying to keep his beaming smile at a minimum.

"So Armin will be living with me since I live five minutes away from the hospital seeing as my suite is the building right next to here. Meeting adjourned. Levi, please take your husband back to his room." Armin, Eren, Mikasa and Annie jolted.

"What?!" Levi was wheeling Eren away, making Mikasa and the Yeagers follow suit. Annie stayed to argue with Erwin before she just grabbed Armin and wheeled him away.

"Mom, you okayed this?" Eren asked when Levi left them to get the release forms. Mikasa and Grisha left to grab coffee. Carla nodded.

"Of course! Levi's your husband after all. You've spent more of your marriage apart. Maybe it's time to see where you two stand as a couple. Besides, we never told you what happened when you left." She took a seat, holding his hand with a sad smile.

"He tried visiting your father and I a bit to see if you had come home some days, but we didn't tell him anything. Over time, his visits stopped but he did send us money when it was holidays. When I ran into him at the store one day I asked him why he didn't visit anymore. He told me it hurt too much to see us." She ruffled his hair. "He looked broken, like you did whenever you said his name. Being apart hurts for both of you. And when you suddenly get back together, someone does something stupid based on what they feel. You two need to sort things out. You still love him, don't you?"

Eren's eyes widened. But luckily, Mikasa and Grisha returned. He could say yes and no to her, both would be right with reasons. It all boiled down to trust in the end. Eren loved Levi, he did. But he didn't trust him as much as he used to.

* * *

In the end, Armin agreed to stay with Erwin because he would pay for everything he needed to get better. Annie didn't have a lot of money and Armin had the money to pay, but decided to go with Erwin because…he was still in love with him. Madly. He didn't say that out loud. He gave Eren the address to Erwin's place so he could drop by and visit. Annie promised she would and demanded Erwin's phone number so she could call and check on him.

The release a few days later was pretty smooth, not counting the tense aura in the car as Levi took Eren and Mikasa to his place.

"I wanna sleep with Eren," said Mikasa suddenly. Eren glared at her.

"We're not kids, Mikasa. Sleep in the guest room." She shook her head.

"No, I must protect you from this sadistic midget." Levi rolled his eyes.

"I invited you. You don't get to make demands." She glared holes into the head of his seat.

As they entered the suite with Mikasa's stuff, she took a look around the suite. Nothing had changed in here. Except the coffee table, which was a glass one like that one she broke using Oruo.

"Doesn't this place look familiar?" she said bitterly. Levi glared at her and dropped her bag.

"Be lucky I didn't charge you for my coffee table. Eren, I'll let you take the bedroom." Eren blinked.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Levi didn't look the least bit concerned.

"The floor. This bitch can take the guest room." Mikasa was shocked for a second, but glared and took her things to the guest room.

"You're well enough to have sex. We have to make up for lost time," Levi said this out loud as Mikasa left, causing her to turn back around in a rage. But she slowly went back to her new room, eyes not leaving him. Eren was stunned, but Levi had a small smile on his face.

"I said that to make fun of her. God knows she'll stay up trying to hear us. I already told her I'd be sleeping on the floor." The thought of it had Eren giggling a bit, but he sobered up.

"Why don't you sleep on the couch where it's more comfortable?" he asked. For a second, Levi froze, but he moved towards the bedroom.

"I don't sleep there anymore." Eren narrowed his eyes, following him inside.

"What are you talking about? You slept on the couch before." Levi grabbed some blankets and laid them on the floor.

"I haven't slept there since you left," he admitted, not looking at him. "I keep thinking you'd be there when I come home."

Eren stayed silent. How badly was Levi messed up after he left?

At night, Eren lay on the bed, Levi making himself comfortable on the floor. He had one plan and he was sticking to it.

"When I'm fully recovered, when Armin is too, I'm leaving you." He could hear Levi gasp. Levi sat up in his makeshift bed. He looked horrified.

"Why?" he asked, sounding breathless. Eren didn't look at him.

"The same reason as last time,  _Heichou_ ," he spat out his name. Levi sighed out in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

"Eren, I can explain-"

"You should've before I married you," Eren replied. Levi had gotten up, sitting beside Eren.

"I promised I would tell you that night, but you were gone when I came home." Eren snorted.

"Waiting for a crime lord is like waiting for the Grim Reaper to come kill me. How would I know you wouldn't kill me if I stayed? I know you're Heichou. I could use it as blackmail or turn you in to the cops." Levi gently touched his back.

"You need to get better. I'll tell you it all then. Je vous ai promis que je ne voudrais pas vous faire de mal. Vous n'avez aucune raison d'avoir peur de moi, Eren. Je t'aime. J'espère que vous me croyez quand je dis cela." Levi spoke French as rare as he was gentle. It was as sincere as his promises. Conflicted, Eren turned away.

"Can we talk about this later? I'm really tired. And tell Mikasa to go to sleep or she'll never sleep tonight. She's worse when she hasn't had enough sleep." Levi smirked at the thought of her being cranky, but they'd fight worse than they already were.

"Sure. We can talk in the morning."

Mikasa was listening in at the door outside, hoping she wouldn't hear moaning. Levi sent her to bed like a child, then returned to his bed and slept. After a few hours of tossing and turning, Eren couldn't sleep. He felt confused. His heart was heavy and he didn't know whether to run or to hold Levi. Levi was sincere. He knew that, but the truth hurt so much. He had to think for a bit, but being here muddled up his mind. He got up from the bed, pulling on a coat and left the room with Levi asleep.

Mikasa was fast asleep in the guest room, making no movements as he shut the door again. He just needed some time alone. No nurses checking up on him or friends bothering him asking if he was okay. He just needed to think. He left the suite and walked to the elevator. Maybe a walk around the city would clear his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a few people felt strongly about the last chapter and believe me, it hurt to do that to them both. I hope you all forgive me! From here on, it's the path to forgiveness and love.
> 
> The translation for the French part: I promised you that I would not hurt you. You have no reason to be afraid of me, Eren. I love you. I hope you believe me when I say that.
> 
> Next chapter preview:
> 
> "Hey there, baby. You lost?"
> 
> "Eren's gone."
> 
> "I-I'm so fucked up."


	7. Shedding Light on a Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello! New chapter up! Thank you for waiting and please read and comment! Once again, thank you for the comments and kudos!

As Eren left the high rise apartment building, he was greeted by the honks of cars and bright lights of the ever-busy Trost. The city that never sleeps was a fitting name. But with the busy city, there was almost nowhere he could get some peace and quiet. He started walking wherever he could, avoiding couples and pedestrians that roamed the streets for a night on the town. People moved past him, not giving him much attention as he tried to find someplace quiet and comfortable.

He walked further and further away from Levi's place, aimlessly looking for peace as he crossed roads and buildings. Before he knew it, he had walked maybe twenty minutes away near a park where a gorgeous lake shone under the moonlight. He had come to this park many times as a kid. It was known for the fireflies that lit up the place at night. Sometimes he'd come with Levi as a quiet date where the two would rest in the shade, which Levi hated because he had to bring towels to sit on to avoid grass stains. Eren had wanted to have their wedding here, but with attack geese people called titans that were intent on biting any human they saw, he figured he didn't want to spend it engaging battle with waddling birds.

He relaxed, smelling the fresh air away from the city as he walked further into the park. The silence was only interrupted by the sounds of crickets and the darkness penetrated by the glow of fireflies around the lake. A tree standing tall and proud casted over the lake, Eren taking a seat in the soft, damp grass. He leaned back and closed his eyes, taking in the silence. Only for it to be stopped by the rustling of the bushes. Eren's eyes opened quickly, sitting up straight and alert.  _'That better be a fucking goose.'_

Three guys emerged from the bushes, not looking as friendly as they wanted to come off. One guy winked at Eren.

"Hey there, baby. You lost?" he asked. Eren raised a brow.

"Do I look lost to you?" he asked, pissed that his quiet was interrupted. They all laughed.

"No, but maybe you'd like to join us for some fun. It's such a nice night. Interested?" Eren frowned. It was obvious what they wanted.

"Hell no. You guys can go have a threesome. You don't need me." He quickly stood when one of the guys jogged up to him to try and grab his arm.

"Aww, come on! None of us are as hot as you are." Eren glared at them.

"I fucking said no. Go fuck yourselves." Their smirks they gave him after disgusted him. When another guy tried to grab him, Eren punched the fucker right in the throat. The guy fell in an instant, the others swarming Eren. Adrenaline and pent up frustration boiled over. He kneed one guy in the groin, grabbing him and throwing his back towards himself, then kicked his leg the other way. The guy went down like a tree. The other guy put Eren in a headlock, but Eren was faster. He back kicked the guy and threw him over his shoulder, twisting his arm when he hit the ground.

But one of the guys recovered, grabbing Eren from behind by locking his arm around his neck and lifting him off his feet. Eren gasped as his air was cut off, kicking around and grabbing the guy's arm with both hands. As the other two managed to get up and limp over to them, one paled in a second as he focused on Eren's left hand. He grabbed his companion.

"W-wings of Freedom," he gasped. The other two froze. Eren stared in disbelief as he was let go. Just when he had the perfect move to counter this asshole. The guys presented themselves in front of him and did some sort of salute where their right arm swung and hit their chest with a fist, the left arm swung behind.

"Sumimasen! We didn't mean to mess with you!" they shouted. Eren glared at them.

"Oh sure, I felt that when you nearly choked me," he said sarcastically. It was pleasing to see them tremble.

"P-please don't tell Heichou. I don't want to die," one pleaded. Eren blinked.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not a part of Recon," he answered truthfully. Though maybe he should've lied. But it was a surprise that they suddenly brought up Levi. One guy shook his head wildly.

"H-he's bluffing. Heichou warned the whole fucking underground not to touch a guy with the Wings of Freedom on his ring. Fuck this shit!" He ran off, the others yelling for him to wait as they scrambled to go after him. Eren was rooted to the spot. Did that mean that Levi had been looking out for him? Even after he left him, Levi had still wanted to protect him. He gently touched his ring and held it to his lips, the quiet of the park no longer able to soothe his nerves.

* * *

Levi had woken up to check on Eren for vitals and to take his pain medication, getting up off the floor.

"Oi, Eren, wake up." He kept his yawn quiet, turning to the bed. His heart dropped when he saw it was empty, his phone on the nightstand. Fully awake, he checked their bathroom to see if he was there. Empty. He ran out to the living room hoping he was watching TV or in the kitchen. Empty. The second bathroom was in Mikasa's room. He didn't express any gentleness as he wrenched her door open and went to check her room and the bathroom. She jolted and sat up, looking pissed as he ignored her and looked around. Before she could tell him off, Levi said the one thing she was scared to hear.

"Eren's gone." She flew out of bed to join him in his search. They both got dressed to leave the building, Mikasa's phone in hand.

"I'll call Armin to have him look around. And our other friends too. Can't you use your gang or something to help?" she asked. Levi was already shutting his phone.

"I already did. They'll let me know." She raised a brow.

"How will they know it's Eren if they find him?" Levi's face was emotionless.

"Our wedding rings have the symbol of Recon, the Wings of Freedom. I made it clear to everyone underground that Eren wasn't to be touched. We're lucky he wears it still. We don't have time to keep talking about it. Which way are you going?" Mikasa looked around the city streets, deciding in a split second.

"I'll see if he went to the park down by the hospital. He's been there many times before." To her, it was smarter since it was closer. She took off, going through the crowd like air. Levi didn't think he would be there. Why had Eren left? Because of him, no doubt. If something happened to Eren, he was going to put a bullet through the perpetrator's head. But that was if. He had to find Eren now. There was one place he went to if he decided he wanted to go out. He raced in the direction of the park with the fireflies.

He found the park after running for ten minutes, panting while searching the park to find Eren. He found him curled under a tree, head on his knees. He didn't look hurt, thank God, but he was shaking. Levi slowly approached him, swallowing.

"Eren?" he asked softly. Eren twitched, looking up at him. His eyes were red and puffy as if he were crying. He sniffed.

"I-I'm so fucked up." Confused, Levi sat next to him, not noting the dampness of the grass.

"What are you talking about?" Eren looked away. He was numb from the cold, but didn't say a word about it.

"I am. I'm fucked up because I think I'm still in love with you. And I shouldn't be." His voice was rising, sounding angrier as he went on. "You're a fucking murderer and you went and violated me. You torture people for a living and for some reason you use  _this_  to protect me!"

He held up his hand, the ring shining at Levi. "I don't know why, but those fucking pricks saying you're looking out for me gave me hope. Like maybe things can go to the way they used to be. But they can't no matter how much I want it to! Even after you practically assaulted me, I see you being all guilty and shit and I want what we had back because I know you never go back on your promises. But I don't trust you. Even if I do love you, I can't trust you. All this shit is your fault to begin with and if we go back, the two years apart were all for nothing. I've wasted my time making this life without you and now I'm going back?! If someone told me they were doing what I want to do, I'd call them fucking stupid. But me? I'm fucked up because that's what part of me wants."

His frustration turned to tears, cutting him off so he could sob. Levi's face scrunched in anger. He wasn't angry because he hated Eren, but because Eren hated himself. He grabbed Eren by the shoulders, the brunette gasping and looking up at him. Levi's grey eyes were soft despite his expression.

"You aren't fucked up. There's nothing wrong with you. It's my fault you feel this way.  _I'm_  the one who's fucked up, not you. Like you said, I'm a murderer. I torture people. I've had blood on my hands since I was a brat growing up with my mentor. He taught me everything and if I'm messed up, it's because of him. But I take the blame because I willingly accepted his beliefs. I perfected his torturing methods that sprung me to be the leader when I turned 18. He handed down Recon to me and I've continued the same bloody traditions as he had from his predecessor. All because we believe there are people who don't belong in this world. But then I met you and dragged you into my world. I'm a shitty, selfish person and I love you. You're a brat, you're stubborn and you get angry faster than anyone can blink. But that doesn't make you fucked up. You're perfect compared to me, Eren. Just because you love me doesn't mean you're a bad person. I hurt you. I…raped you." He had been hoping to avoid giving himself that label, but it was the cold truth. "Because I was angry with you. I treated you the same way the people I torture treated their victims. I'm no better than they are. The only small difference is that I want to fix what I did you. That still doesn't make it right. I don't deserve you. And…"

He took a breath. He felt like he was dying inside, but this was for Eren. He was suffering more than Levi was. For an instant, his mind flashed back to their first official date, their first time together, the day Levi asked him to move in, the night he asked Eren to marry him and the sunny afternoon they married under the golden sunlight surrounded by friends and family. He then saw the day Eren lost his first patient, the night Eren cried over the loss and hugged Levi until he could look in the mirror and call himself a doctor again. He saw their many fights he couldn't remember were about, the makeup sex that came after someone finally admitted they were wrong. He remembered the night Eren found him in the middle of torturing, how Eren thought he was next and feared for his life so he ran. Finally, he saw Eren's pleading face on the hospital bed that he had ignored because he was adamant on punishing Eren for leaving him. If he could take it back, he would in a heartbeat, but he had to suffer the consequences of his actions. What Eren wanted mattered. He was the one who suffered the most. He ignored his heart's pain and looked deep into Eren's eyes.

"Eren, if you want to leave me, you can. If you never want to see me again, you'll never have to. I can take care of you if you want me to, if you decide to divorce me." The thought of it hurt. At the word 'divorce,' Eren's eyes widened a tad. As he listened to Levi, he found himself being comforted at the thought of him being normal.

"Do you want me to divorce you?" he asked softly. It didn't take long for Levi to reply.

"No. But if being with me hurts you, I don't want us to stay together. I've already hurt you enough by lying and never telling you about me being Heichou. I've hurt you by forcing you even though you begged me to stop. Your feelings are killing you and I want you to be happy. Even if it takes getting away from me and Recon. I don't want you to live the rest of your life regretting your decisions. Don't think about how I feel about it." It wasn't like Levi to be selfless like this. He was usually very selfish and demanded his way, leading to clashes and compromises. But this was different. Levi was risking his own happiness for him. It was out of guilt and love.

But Levi's past, he had never known. Levi said his past was dark and preferred not to talk about it, but spoke fondly of his parents who died when he was a boy. He never met this mentor Levi talked about. This was why. He was the one who brought Levi into Recon and into the bloodbath. Yet Levi became a doctor because he thought highly of innocent human lives. Eren loved that side of him the most. If only he could…

"Levi, if I asked you to leave Recon, would you do it?" Levi's eyes widened. "We're both doctors. We're trusted with people's lives every day. They need us. I know you think you're helping by killing the trash of society, but it's barbaric. You're better than that. I married a doctor, not Heichou."

He watched as Levi turned away, thinking about what Eren said. But the brunette stood up and stretched.

"I'm asking for too much right now from you. But…" he looked away to not see Levi's face, "if you left Recon, I might not leave you. It'd be easier for us to start our relationship over knowing that we can start on a clean slate away from your world." He let the words sink in, unsure if he wanted to see if Levi was angry at him. Levi wasn't, but it was hard to just leave Recon. For a split second, he nearly agreed to leave them, but the backlash would be severe from his predecessors who still had power over parts of the underworld. If he left Recon and ended golden years of their madness, he would have to take Eren, their families and friends and run as far away as they could. He would do it for Eren, but he had to be smart on how to do it. If  _he_  knew about Eren, then  _he_  would go after him.  _He_  would use him to force Levi to stay in Recon and become more of a puppet than a leader. The underworld feared Levi and him being gone would lessen Recon's control over it.

"Don't decide now, just think about it." Levi stood up as Eren went on. "I want to forgive you, but it's going to take a while for me to trust you again. A long fucking while."

Levi nodded. "I know. I want you to again and I hope you can." He sighed as they started walking out of the park.

As they reached the sidewalk, he suddenly stopped, his face a scowl. Eren was alarmed. "Wait a minute. You said some pricks gave you hope. Did something happen before I came?" he asked, his tone dropping to a growl.

Eren smirked a little. "Oh, those guys. I beat their asses and was gonna go another round, but they ran away after seeing the ring. I'm fine," he added to ease him. "They learned their lesson. Don't find them."

Levi sighed, seething inside as he wanted to mutilate whoever touched him. Eren could see it. "You want my trust back, right?"

He had to swallow down his anger. "Yes."

"Then don't be Heichou around me. If you do, I'm gone," Eren promised, his green eyes on grey.

"I won't," Levi swore. "But keep the ring with you. It's to protect you from people like them."

Eren glanced at the diamonds and sapphires. "Why did you keep the warning even when I left you?"

Levi didn't have to think about the answer. "Because if you were at risk of being the next victim, the ring means that you know me personally. Recon gets every bit of information in Trost and anyone who harms someone connected to Recon will be punished. I didn't want anything to happen to you, so even if you aren't working for me, I'd be able to protect you."

That reminded him, he had to call off the search. He took out his phone and texted Hanji to call it all off while they walked back. Oh yeah, there was Mikasa too. Eren froze as he realized that Levi wasn't at the park for nothing.

"Hey, Levi? Why were you looking for me?" Levi stared at him like he was crazy.

"You left without telling anyone, so I woke up Mikasa and she went to find you with me, but she went to the park near the hospital to look for you." Eren's eyes bulged. The whole time they were talking, Mikasa was probably losing her mind looking for him.

"Can I call her?" he asked, taking the phone Levi held out. It only two rings for her to answer.

"He's not here! And the hospital said they didn't see him either!" Eren winced at her volume.

"Mikasa, it's me. I'm okay." Her gasp was heard.

"Where are you?!"

"Heading back to the building." She sighed in relief.

"Thank God. I'll wait for you two outside." He blinked.

"What? No, it's okay, just head up!" She hung up on him. Probably didn't listen. But if she did and didn't meet up with him as soon as humanly possible, then she wasn't Mikasa.

As they walked faster towards the building, Eren didn't think about holding Levi's hand. He stayed a distance away from him and kept his eyes forward, looking back a few times to see if he was right behind. He was still wary, staying feet away from him and not making any movements to touch him. Eren was comforted by Levi, but that didn't mean he was going to give in so easily. He had a new life in Pearl Beach and even though he was lonely, he was surrounded by things he loved. If Levi wasn't going to be a part of his life, at least he had the beautiful beach to go back to.

* * *

As they reached the apartment building, Mikasa was waiting for them outside. She ran and flung her arms around Eren, almost in tears as she held him tightly. Instead of pushing her off as he normally did due to embarrassment, he hugged her back. He needed a hug right now and Mikasa was perfect. The people on the sidewalk ignored the hugging siblings and Levi standing a few feet away. He couldn't help but feel jealous about the contact between the two, but slowly Eren would love and trust him again. He would gratefully hug Eren back if Eren made the first move. Eren was the one to make the first move from here on out.

As they returned to their suite, Eren quietly asked Mikasa if he could sleep with her tonight, which she accepted without hesitation. Levi kept his face indifferent. As Mikasa went to fix the bed, Eren turned to Levi.

"Uh, Levi? Thanks." Levi raised a brow.

"For what?" Eren smiled a little.

"For making me feel better. And for telling me more about your past." Levi leaned his back against the kitchen counter.

"No problem. I need to tell you more, but it'll have to wait. Will you listen?" Eren chewed his bottom lip.

"Yes," he answered. "But only if Mikasa and Armin are here too."

"They can," Levi agreed. His heart lifted at the thought of Eren letting him explain everything to him. Eren nodded his head and went into Mikasa's room.

As Mikasa slept, Eren looked up at the ceiling. He wasn't fucked up. But if he wanted to forgive Levi, he had to let himself do it. He wasn't going to do it so easily. If Levi was going to stay as Heichou, hell no was he staying. And for violating him? While he somewhat forgave Levi because of his gentleness and promises, it didn't help the cold feeling that tingled on his skin when Levi came close. He wasn't ready for his touch. It would take a long time to forgive him and he wanted to stay to listen and understand him. He could leave any time he wanted, but was curious about what Levi had to say. And Armin still needed to get better. He let himself drift to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End chapter! I know that some people are upset that I am not splitting Levi and Eren for good and I agree. In real life any sensible person would leave their lover, but that's why in order to obtain a happy ending for this story, I rely heavily on the forgiveness part. Please bear in mind that this is fiction and if you are displeased with the circumstances, you won't be happy with the rest of this story and it won't be worth finishing. I am sorry if this upsets anyone.
> 
> On a lighter note, I am thinking of doing an Ereri oneshot and have provided the summary below along with the next chapter preview:
> 
> "I'm not justifying my torture. I'm telling him who we torture."
> 
> "Armin, be honest with me. You don't want to leave Trost?"
> 
> "Levi, if you leave Recon, then Kenny won't be pleased. I might as well start packing because I don't want Armin involved."
> 
> Oneshot summary: After catching Eren coming out of an expensive car and overhearing a not-so-innocent conversation about meeting at a hotel, Jean deduces that Eren is a sugar baby. Too bad the bastard disappeared after class before Jean could ask. Armed with his friends, the group sets off to find Eren and stop him from ruining his life. Ereri Winmin


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